


C h a i n e d - t o - Y o u

by MKSS



Category: Naruto
Genre: Community: kakasaku, F/M, SasuSaku - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:34:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 50,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23446327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MKSS/pseuds/MKSS
Summary: The plan was simple. Charade as a pleasure slave with Kakashi as her master. They planned everything. Well, everything except Sasuke Uchiha appearing out of nowhere and buying her instead.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 88
Kudos: 290





	1. C o m p l i c a t i o n s

C h a i n e d 

t o 

Y o u 

{ 1 } 

The flames of their campfire burned brightly. A stark contrast against the inky night, warming the two konoha nin huddled around it. 

The male was humming softly to himself, his fingers counting his kunai while sharpening it, a senbon needle hanging loosely from his lips. 

The female on the other hand wasn't so relaxed. Tension was clear in her shoulders as well as her eyes, half lidded but sharp, fully aware of her surroundings, ready to attack in a moment's notice. Her hands gripped her knees, knuckles turning white and the occasional dejected sigh left her lips. 

Genma saw this before rubbing the back of his head, worried for the young woman sitting across from him. It was clear that she had a lot on her mind yet was not keen on sharing her thoughts. Not without a little persuasion at least. Which, he thought, was something he was quite adept at. True he wasn't the type to normally ask for information or push others to open up to him. But this was a special case. One, she was his friend. Two, they were on an S-ranked mission. He knew it wasn't wise for any shinobi, no matter how skilled, to be carrying heavy feelings into a mission. Especially one like theirs, filled with risk and absolutely no room for mistakes. 

With a cough that had nothing to do with the cold, Genma gave her a meaningful look. 

"Alright. Spill it." 

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise at his blunt opening. But soon the walls were back up in place. 

"About what Genma?" 

"Don't play dumb Sakura-chan. It doesn't suit you and it's an insult to my intelligence." 

A small smirk played on her lips. 

"What intelligence?" 

He rolled his eyes at her pathetic attempt to distract him. 

"Nice try but I'm serious. Something is bothering you."

"We all have problems."

"That's a given. But you've been exceptionally gloomy since we left." 

Her shoulders slumped suddenly. 

"Is it Ino?" He ventured.

"Partly." She began, slowly turning her body towards him. "Of course I'm worried about her but I know that with you, me and Kakashi on this rescue mission, we'll manage and find her." 

Genma gestured for her to go on. 

"So what's the issue here?" 

"I-i…" 

The words were stuck in her throat. Sakura couldn't help but think back, five days ago when she was summoned with Kakashi-senei and Genma by the Hokage herself, a scroll in her hand and a grim expression on her face. 

-Flashback-

Tsunade-sensei had a parchment rolled in one hand while the other was gripping a sake bottle so hard, Sakura wondered how it didn't simply shatter. 

She was standing between two men. Her sensei and his close friend, Genma. Although she barely saw him outside of work, she appreciated his easy going nature and relaxed smile. 

Kakashi on the other hand was unreadable. Aloof even. She wondered how he'd been, away from the village almost all the time. This was the first time she'd seen him in a while. The familiar sight of unruly silver hair and black mask calmed her nerves yet his silence was unnerving. 

Finally the silence was broken by the authoritative voice of the Hokage, her hazel eyes scanning the trio before her critically. 

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've summoned you. Well besides the fact I need a drink, fast, we simply have no time for delay." She took a deep breath before dropping the bomb on them. 

"I have received a report from an ally of mine. He's a wandering shinobi I met throughout my travels before returning to Konoha. His jobs take him across the globe from the village of sand to snow country. During his recent trip to wave country, right at the border, he found a town. He stayed a few nights and noticed that something was off about that place." She paused, seeming to choose her next words carefully. 

"One night he felt chakra signatures. Volatile and unstable. He followed it to an underground tunnel which led him to a small city. The town was merely a front. And apparently, the popular commodity in this area are...slaves."

Dread filled her stomach at the last word. 

"Whoever is in charge hosts an auction every week where anyone can bring in more men and women then put them up for sale. After being bought, the males are forced into the slave rings to battle where their masters place bets while the females...well I think we all know what they have planned for them." 

Tsunade shook her head in disgust and Sakura couldn't help but agree, a frown on her lips. 

"The report lacks some information. Unfortunately he was chased out by the patrol guards. Luckily he snuck in during the guard switch but it's clear they don't let just anybody in. Especially when they come in empty handed. But just before he managed to escape, He spotted a particular slave entering one of the houses." 

The Hokage's eyes immediately darkened and latched onto Sakura's. 

"One with blonde hair and blue eyes." 

The dread doubled in size. 

"Ino." Sakura breathed. 

It's been several weeks since they've heard news concerning the blonde. A part of her wondered what was taking her best friend so long coming back home from a simple escort mission. Most assumed the worst but she knew better. The pig was too stubborn to die, especially before getting married or dragging her off to another night destined for drunken stupor and gossiping. 

This piece of evidence that Ino was somewhere out there, alive, made hope flutter frantically in Sakura's chest. 

"Although my ally hasn't met Yamanaka in person, he described her perfectly. Also this is the first lead we have on her since her disappearance for the past two months. It's too big an opportunity to pass up." 

All three nin before her nodded, understanding and resolve evident on each of their faces. 

"I picked you three because of all of your specialties. I need Kakashi to act as the leader and tracker of the operation. Sakura will be the medic on board and Genma will provide the surveillance as well as be the back-up in case things were to go wrong. Hopefully that won't be the case." She leaned forward, her eyes intense as she looked at the nin before her. 

"Also, this will be a highly covert undercover mission. Obviously not just anyone can go in or out. But it's clear what or rather, who can enter without raising suspicion…" She trailed off, an unreadable expression pasted on her face.

"Genma!" She barked. 

"Yes Hokage-sama!"

"You will act as a slavedriver." 

The senbon between his lips slipped for a split second before Genma recovered, nodding his reply. 

"And Sakura?" 

"Yes Shishou?"

Please please please let Kakashi be the-

"You will be the slave." 

Oh hell. 

"Kakashi?" 

"Yes?"

"You will be her master." 

Dear God in Heaven above. She wished the floor would just eat her whole now. 

This was her first mission that had anything related to sex. And no, giving full physical examinations to the shinobi did not count. Granted, it wasn't a seduction mission where she had to distract the target using her body, thank god. But still, this was on a whole different level. Sakura bit her lip, sealing in all her complaints and doubts to herself. 

She glanced at Kakashi from the corner of her eye, curious at his reaction to have to play this kind of role with his much younger student. But if he was bothered in any way, he didn't show it. Even his relaxed stance, one hand shoved in his pocket while the other rested on his hip, he seemed unperturbed. 

"To avoid anyone drawing any kind of connection between you three, Kakashi will leave tomorrow morning, arrive in the city alone and do some recon. Gather intel on the area and people. Sufficed to say this mission is extremely dangerous. We aren't just dealing with some armed men, they've got shinobi according to the report. We've got to be careful. No ties or anything that can involve konoha in some way." 

Hazel eyes regarded Sakura. 

"Genma will bring you in, sell you off to the big shots, leave the city itself but remain in the town outside. Kakashi will meet you at the auction and buy you there."

Clearly this plan was already thought out, double-checked and was the epitome of practical and logical. But she couldn't help but swallow nervously, still processing the fact she had to play such a risque role.

She could feel her palms start to get sweaty. 

"The two of you stay inside until we either rescue Ino or find proof that it isn't her. Genma will stay in the town outside in case you need back-up. Any questions?" 

"Nope." The brunette muttered. 

"Actually Shisho-" Sakura was immediately interrupted by the silver haired man at her side. 

"May I speak to you alone Hokage-sama?" 

A tense silence passed between them until her mentor replied, facing Kakashi yet also addressing Sakura. 

"Very well. I'm assuming you accept this mission Sakura-chan?" 

Three pairs of eyes zeroed in on her. 

"O-of course Shishou." 

"Good. You and Genma may leave and make the necessary preparations. Expect to leave in five days. Dismissed." 

The both of them nodded, turned and left. But not before Sakura glanced back at Kakashi, wondering what he needed to talk to her shishou about. 

Just when the door shut behind her, she realized she left her scrolls, really important ones she needed to study later tonight for a surgery at four in the morning. 

Cursing herself, she was about to enter and apologize profusely for the untimely interruption when she heard him. 

"Hokage-sama. I apologize for the disrespect but wouldn't a much more experienced kunoichi be a better choice for this task?" 

That statement. So simple and asked in such an even voice, was a bucket of ice cold water on Sakura's body. 

"Perhaps Hyuuga Hinata?" 

"Pregnant." 

"Kurenai?" 

"Has a baby." 

"Tenten?" 

"Broken arm." 

Kakashi set his jaw.

"I've gone through the roster already, Kakashi. Sakura is the perfect-no-the only choice for this task." 

Wonderful. This just proved how hopelessly single she really was. And how her previous sensei didn't think she could pull off this job. 

It felt like lead was suddenly dropped into the pit of her stomach. 

It was a familiar feeling. 

Hurt. Embarrassment. Anger. 

Still he didn't reply. 

"You question my judgement?" 

The challenge hung heavy in the air.

"There must be another-" 

"No. Besides, she's a grown woman now. All kunoichi go through this, even some men if I recall. Why should my apprentice get any special treatment?" 

"But-"

"My decision is final. Sakura has all the skills necessary to accomplish this task. And the two of you come from the same team. I expect nothing but seamless teamwork on this mission." 

Sakura stepped backwards, scrolls suddenly the last thing on her mind, she swallowed her hurt pride at the way her sensei reacted to their roles. Really? He thought blushing, timid Hinata was a better choice? 

Her mood considerably darker than it was just ten minutes ago, Sakura left the Hokage tower, her mouth set in a firm line with hurt clear in her green eyes. 

-End of flashback-

After what felt like an eternity, she replied. 

"It's Kakashi-sensei." 

Recognition flared in Genma's dark eyes. 

"Ahhh…" 

"He doesn't think I can do this." Anger seeped into her tone the longer she spoke.  
"The way he spoke back at the tower, it's like he sees me as the same genin Sakura, following after her teammates, not as strong or-" 

"Hold up right there Sakura-chan."  
The brunette held both his hands up in an attempt to stop her tirade.  
"I get where you're coming from, finally. I really do. But try not to jump to conclusions here." 

A pink brow arched at him. 

"Okay fine, he wasn't the most supportive back there. But maybe it's just his protective side coming out ya know?" 

Green eyes rolled at this. 

"I mean, if my student had to pretend to be a slave and degrade herself in such a way-scratch that, if I had to degrade her and treat her like some piece of property, I'd be against that too." 

A few moments of silence passed until-

"Oh." 

"Yeah. So don't let it get you down. I know Kakashi. Sure he can be...well not great at relationships or be all fuzzy and warm, but he's a great man about ninety nine percent of the time." 

"What about the one percent?" 

"Oh. That's the icha-icha reading part." 

His matter of fact response made her chuckle lightly. Yet even his sense of humor couldn't keep all her worries at bay. 

"It's also the whole slave thing." 

A silence, heavy with the unspoken things Ino might have had to suffer in that place, settled between them. It was only broken by Genma, clicking his tongue in annoyance. 

"Yeahp. I agree. Just listening to the briefing made my insides squirm." 

Suddenly, the fear and anxiety of not reaching her sensei's standards faded. Instead a slow but steady anger started within her, fueled by the mental images of what her best friend might have gone through, of what all those men and women, innocent and helpless, had to go through for someone else's entertainment and pleasure. 

"Whoever started this business are pigs, scum-complete and utter assholes!" Sakura glared at the fire, deadly intent and hunger coming off her in waves.  
"We're going to rescue Ino and save her from that hellhole. No matter what." 

Genma saw the firm resolve shining in those green depths and smirked. 

"Now you're talking." 

…

They arrived at a small town. All the buildings were old and rickety, the ground practically barren and the people seemed lifeless. Their expressions were all vacant, especially the women.

As they walked through the area, Sakura felt like they were passing through a ghost town. 

No laughter, no children, no life. 

Even the local pub was empty.

"It feels so…" She began.

"Dead." He supplied, clearly as uncomfortable as she was. 

"Yeah. But it's the only town for miles so this must be the entrance to the city." 

"Mm." 

The pair didn't waste any time, combing through the tiny village in search for the hidden tunnel. The scroll had a hastily drawn map. A while later, they were able to locate the hatch hidden underneath a seemingly empty house. 

They glanced at each other before entering. 

It couldn't be this easy. 

But before either of them made another step, a gruff voice called out. 

"Stop!" 

They froze. 

"What do you think you're doing here?" 

A middle aged man stepped out of the shadows, suspicion clear on his weathered face while his arms crossed his chest. She felt for his chakra signature and immediately relaxed. He was a low level shinobi at best. 

Genma didn't miss a beat, a relaxed expression on his face. 

"I'm here to sell." 

"Sell what?" 

Sakura felt his hand wrap around her arm, pulling her forward harshly. 

"This." 

The urge to slap him was overwhelming but she settled for glaring at Genma instead. 

"Well well." 

The leer she got for the guard made her grit her teeth in frustration. 

"Come right in then." He looked at her up and down, his eyes roving her form making Sakura shiver internally and her insides roll in disgust. 

The guard unlocked then unchained the hatch before gesturing for them to enter. 

Sakura went in first with Genma following closely behind. As soon as they were inside, the latch snapped shut, trapping them underground. 

Small florescent light bulbs lined the tunnel, leading them deeper and deeper into the ground. 

Two hours later, deep in the earth, Genma's eyes scanned the dark stretch before them warily then finally addressed Sakura. 

"We're close." 

Genma's voice wasn't as light or carefree. Instead it was deeper, gruffer even. Which was much more suited to their mission if he was going to pose as a slavedriver properly. 

They had perfected their appearances earlier before leaving camp and erasing any traces of their stop there. 

Only a hundred meters or more, and they'll be at the entrance of the city, Sakura glanced to her left, noting Genma's change in features and memorizing it. 

The changes were subtle but enough that no one would stop to think he was in any way connected to konoha. 

His skin was considerably darker just like his hair while his eyes were now a shade of blue thanks to a pair of contacts he had brought with them. No green flak vest, bandana or senbon needle, much to her surprise. Instead he wore a light grey shirt, its sleeves hugging his muscled arms and on his legs, black cargo pants with a pair of sturdy looking shoes. His get up seemed like something a civilian would wear. That is, until he layered a brightly colored haori over his clothes, its sleeves lined in a gaudy shade of gold. 

"You look-" 

"Hot. I know." 

"I was going to say shiny but…" She snickered.

"Tch please. I'm playing the role of some rich bastard who makes a living selling slaves. Gotta look the part, am I right?" 

"Hm. Well, you got the bastard part down so…" 

"Very funny." He rolled his eyes. But suddenly the smirk was gone and he scanned the area quickly before handing Sakura a-

"Collar?" 

The metal gleamed under the faint light of the electric bulbs above their heads. It looked just like a dog collar but wasn't as thick or had spikes. It reminded her of a choker, thin enough that it wouldn't be heavy but thick enough to show the world her status. 

"Yeah. Hokage-sama's orders." 

She nodded grimly. 

Of course. 

She was property now. 

A thing to be owned, dragged around, toyed with. 

The chain that went with the collar peeked from Genma's pocket. 

The mere sight of it made anger bubble deep in her chest, threatening to spill over. 

This was only a ruse. But even then Sakura hated every second of it. It was humiliating, having to be pulled like a pet or a puppet on a string. But she wondered then how the other people felt. If she felt this terrible wearing this for show, what more for those who wore these chains and collars for real? 

Ignoring the simmering anger, Sakura lifted her now waist length hair (which remained pink much to her surprise. But Shishou was sure no one would recognize them so far into wave country. The only thing she changed was the length. Made possible by using her chakra to stimulate the growth in her hair follicles) so that Genma could easily slip the metal around her neck, clasping it in place. Her fingers touched the collar, tracing the smooth surface and was instantly surprised. The clasp was gone. 

Even worse, she couldn't feel her chakra. 

"What the hell Genma? Chakra inhibitors?!" The snarl that left her lips was almost feral. 

"Sorry but it's the Hokage's orders. If someone does recognize you, they'll know a strap of metal won't keep you down. This has to be believable." He assured her, a warm hand on her shoulder in a placating gesture. 

Well. It made sense. She breathed deeply, calming herself. It's not like she would be completely defenseless anyways. With or without chakra, she was still a kunoichi. 

"Fine." 

"Don't worry. The tech team back home made this. It responds to Kakashi's chakra. As soon as he puts a little in his hand, touches the collar then ta-da! It comes off. But be careful, I doubt slaves can walk around without them so it's only for emergencies or when we find Ino." 

"Got it." 

"Okay. You're all set. Ready?" 

Green eyes latched onto grey. 

"Let's do this." 

With that, Sakura swallowed her pride and fear, stepping forward. She only made three steps when she felt a hand on her head, putting just enough pressure so that she no longer looked ahead but at the ground. 

"Head down. Remember, you're a slave. No name, nothing, alright?" 

She swallowed a growl and nodded in reply. 

"I apologize in advance for-" 

This time Sakura cut him off in the barest of whispers. 

"Don't say sorry. This is just a job. It's okay." 

Genma breathed a sigh of relief at her response. 

"Good. Now hurry up. We better get in before sundown. Kakashi looks pretty much the same. Just no mask and different eyes. No scar." 

Sakura gaped openly before remembering her role. 

"No way, he'll be maskless?!" 

"Woah. Calm down." 

A sheepish chuckle left her lips at his shocked stare. 

"Sorry. We haven't seen him without that damned mask of his." 

Genma wanted to ruffle her hair but was unable to do so because of the rapidly approaching chakra signatures. 

One, two...no, at least four men. 

He pasted a blank expression on his tanned face, ready to play his part in their façade. 

"Greetings." 

They were all dressed the same. Blood red yukatas and fitting black pants with matching black boots. 

"State your name and business." The tallest of them growled. 

"Such a cold welcome. And here I thought I already passed the screening." 

"Tch. I'll be the judge of that." 

"I go by Takeshi." 

"No last name?" 

"I prefer just Takeshi. I was disowned by my family many years ago. Clan politics and all. Anyways, one thing led to another and I became a bounty hunter. Lucrative business I say. Especially when I come by such a pretty prize." 

Sakura grunted in surprise when Genma yanked the chain in his hand sharply, pulling her with it. She landed on her hands and knees, her eyes still glued to the floor, trying her best to remain as docile and weak looking. 

This burned her pride but to hell with it. 

Anything to get her family back. 

"Well damn. Pink hair." 

She wanted to roll her eyes. 

Wow. Never heard of that one before. 

Swallowing the snarky remark, she dug her nails into the ground to keep from punching the man before her. She settled for glaring at his scuffed up shoes instead. 

"Wonder if it's real." An almost nasally voice questioned aloud. 

"Hehe, I'd like to find out if she's pink all over." Another slimy voice snickered. 

"The boss is gonna wanna see her." Another voice stated. 

"Hang on, lemme see her face. She could be fucking ugly-" 

A kunai tipped her chin upwards, its metal lightly scraping her flesh. 

Green eyes glared defiantly at the guards. 

A low whistle left the leader's lips. 

"Well Takeshi." Although the man was speaking to Genma, his eyes never left Sakura's face. "It seems like it's your lucky day." 

He licked his lips appreciatively before finally stepping backwards and gesturing for his fellow men to do the same.

"Maybe I'll stop by the auction tonight." He chuckled to his friends, glancing back at the pinkette and winking, effectively making Sakura gag. 

A lighter tug on the chain indicated that they were on the move again. 

It was annoying, having to look at nothing but the ground but she couldn't jeopardize this mission. Not when Ino's life was on the line. 

They finally reached the end. Or at least, Sakura assumed it was the end because they stopped walking. 

The leader spoke again, his voice oily and loud. 

"Welcome to Tsumi-shi." 

He made a sweeping gesture with his arm then pushed the metal door open. Sakura noted there was some sort of seal on it that responded to his hand. The chains immediately unlinked themselves, landing on the ground as the entrance opened up, revealing a city alive with lights and lanterns, color and people, the complete opposite of the town just above them. 

The whole area was huge. She wondered just how far beneath the ground they were for a place like this to exist. Large temple-like buildings littered the area, all tall, towering over them with tiled roofs, red pillars keeping them upright and elevated from the ground with numerous steps. Some houses were much more modest yet still had an air of elegance to them with their painted sliding doors and bubbling fountains. Orange, pink and yellow lanterns hung from lamp post to lamp post, their light giving a warm glow to the cold dark. The streets were smooth despite the lack of concrete or roads and she noticed they even had shrubbery and plants situated around the vicinity. It looked like a beautiful place. Normal even. 

That is, until Sakura noticed the people in it. 

The distinction between master and slave was made abundantly clear with the different colored and styled collars. 

Those who wore such things around their necks looked at nothing but their feet, carrying bags, food trays or just slumping submissively. 

The masters on the other hand walked with their heads held high, eyes always looking up or ahead. The only time they seemed to look down was when addressing their slave. 

Bile lurched from her stomach at the sight of such cruelty. 

"Come on pinky!" The leader of the four called out, earning several jeers from his friends in the process. 

Sakura's eyes darted at him for a split second before glaring stubbornly at the ground again. She dug her nails into her hands from punching that lecherous grin off his bearded face. 

The pair followed the men into the city, passing by several shops that sold every kind of alcohol imaginable, weapons, sex toys (she blushed at that one) and god knows what else. 

This place reeked of alcohol, sex and blood. 

They stopped in front a building devoid of any windows, its walls a startling shade of crimson with nothing but a black door. Two men were on either side of the door, arms crossed, each wearing a mask that hid their faces from the nose down. 

"Well hello there." 

A woman, probably around her early thirties if Sakura had to guess, came forward, a fake smile on her painted red lips. She was gorgeous, with her slanted brown eyes, cropped black hair and caramel colored skin. The kimono she was wearing was a beautiful shade of aquamarine, shimmering as she moved under the lights overhead. Her hips swayed as she walked and even her voice was light and sweet. But despite the airy demeanor and soft face, Sakura had a bad feeling about her. 

"You're new." She noted, arching a black brown in curiosity at Genma who gave a roguish smile in reply.

"I couldn't resist visiting the forbidden city. All the bandits and bounty hunters talk about this place. Not to mention the kind of money I can earn if I bring a particular type of merchandise." 

"I suppose our reputation precedes us." 

"Are you in charge here?" 

"Ha! I wish." She rolled her brown eyes at the question. "I merely handle the products. Dress them all nice and pretty to entice the buyers to spend even more money. Speaking of products...what have you brought today?" 

Again her chain was pulled brutally but not by the person Sakura expected. Instead of Genma, she was now close to the woman, mere inches away from her perfectly made up face. A pink tongue darted out to lick her lips as she surveyed the pinkette, a gesture that reminded Sakura of a snake. 

"Not bad. She'll get a decent price I'm sure. Even better when I'm through with her." The woman stepped back and reached into the folds of her sleeves, her hand coming out with a large wad of cash, more than enough to cover her rent for at least five years. 

"Will this suffice?" 

"Mm. Maybe a bit more. After all, this one's a fighter. It took a lot to chain her up." 

As if she expected such a response, the woman gave a knowing smirk and brought out three more wads of cash with the same amount. 

Genma pursed his lips for a moment then grabbed the money, stashing it in his rucksack. 

"She's all yours." 

Sakura wished he could have at least said goodbye. Or given her some kind of message or sign to ease her worries. Instead, Genma simply turned and left, not once looking back. 

But of course she knew that clinging to her captor wouldn't make sense at all so she decided to remain passive, eyes once again trained on the ground while she steeled herself for what was yet to come. 

Hang on Ino. I'm coming for you. 

…

Sakura was then blindfolded, gagged and pulled by her chain into the building. She walked down three flights of stairs before the woman shoved her down onto a stool, removing her blindfold after. 

The men, thank goodness, were gone. 

But now she knew why. 

They were in, what looked to be, a dressing room. 

The wall on one side were lined with mirrors, bright light bulbs framing the reflective surfaces and small wooden tables in front of each one, all littered with make-up, clothes and brushes. The room was empty much to her surprise. But maybe the other girls were already upstairs at the auction. Or hidden somewhere while waiting. 

The gag soon came off and Sakura resisted the urge to punch the woman, who later introduced herself as Yumi. 

"Okay. I'm gonna give you some advice hun." Yumi muttered as she began wiping Sakura's face with a damp washcloth.  
"Stop with the glaring. You're already here so deal with it. Best chance you've got at a decent life is play nice, get on your master's good side and maybe, just maybe, you'll survive. Got it?"  
While she spoke, her hands were everywhere, scrubbing Sakura clean until her skin was flushed and pink. 

The pinkette wasn't sure why Yumi was talking to her all of a sudden but it wouldn't hurt to respond right? Maybe she pegged her too quickly and she wasn't so awful. So she gave a small nod, earning a quick smile from the woman. 

Soon Yumi had a makeup pallette in her hand with a brush in the other, concentration evident in her slanted eyes. Powder, eye liner, all of the things women usually put on their face to enhance their features, all the things Sakura barely wore due to her occupation and lack of social life, were suddenly put on her face with expert, nimble fingers. 

"There. Now your clothes. Strip." 

Breathing deeply through her nose, Sakura obeyed, wondering what was wrong with her yukata and skirt. 

"Here. Try this on." 

Sakura looked at the scraps of cloth and heaps of lace and garter in her hands. 

Oh God. 

Kakashi was going to see her in lingerie. 

"Hurry up! We don't have all night here. The auction already started five minutes ago. Unless you wanna wait in the slave stalls for another week, you better hurry your ass up." 

Swallowing whatever dignity she had left, Sakura nodded and put on the most racy piece of clothing she had ever seen in her life. 

After several embarrassing minutes of mistakenly putting her arms and legs through the wrong hole, Sakura finished, her body feeling very exposed in the well lit room. 

Right beside her was a mirror and despite Sakura's better judgement, she took a peek then proceeded to blush, staring unbelievingly at the change she saw.

Her body, encased in black lace, curves more pronounced and breasts much perkier thanks to the little padding in the bra, was reflected back to her in the mirror. Black lined her eyes, making them seem larger and brighter than they usually were. Her lips were painted a rosy pink that matched her hair and cheeks. The waterfall of pink behind her remained untouched, flowing down her back until it reached her waist. She was hit with the sudden urge to touch her cheek, curious how Yumi had managed to transform her ragged features into that of a pretty woman.

But her outfit! God, it was so scandalous and tight she knew that this was the sort of clothes the stars of icha-icha novels wore when they had to seduce their enemy. 

If only there was more coverage! But clearly the intent was to show off skin, not hide it. 

Sakura fidgeted in discomfort, wondering how the hell such small black ribbons could keep the panties and bra in place. There was even a larger ribbon that tied around her waist that connected to garters strapped along her thighs which held up black stockings trimmed in even more lace. She curled her toes in the heels Yumi had forced her into, demanding that she better not fall or damage the shoes. 

Seconds later, Yumi walked around her in a slow circle, hands on her chin, inspecting Sakura much like a critic would for a painting.

"Mm-hm. Gorgeous. Let's go." 

With an affirmative nod, Yumi blindfolded Sakura, pulled her chain forward and left the room, dragging the pinkette with her up the flights of stairs and through several doors. 

Sounds of clapping, jeers and yells caught Sakura's attention instantly. Mostly men were calling out, their rowdy voices clear in the air. 

"Five hundred thousand ryo!" 

"Yes sir! Do I hear six hundred thousand? Anyone?" 

When no one countered the bid, the announcer pounded the gavvil. 

"And SOLD! To the gentlemen in blue at the back!" 

Finally they stopped walking and Sakura felt butterflies, giant mutant butterflies erupt in her stomach. 

"Wait here. Someone will bring you to the middle then they'll start bidding. Remember what I said. Stay put and mouth shut." Yumi whispered into the shell of Sakura's ear before disappearing altogether. 

She waited, nervousness eating her up from the inside out. 

The only consolation, the only source of strength she had right now was the hope her friend was in the area, alive and waiting to be saved. 

Too soon, the pinkette felt her chain being pulled hard, bringing her forward. Whoever dragged her out removed her blindfold as well. Her eyes squinted at the sudden brightness, noticing that she was enveloped in a single spotlight, leaving the rest of the room almost completely dark. Her feet, clad in small kitten heels were standing atop a stage, surrounded by hundreds of men, eyes all hungry and looking right at her as if she were a piece of meat and they've been starved for several days. 

Kakashi, please be here.

Although her role demanded she be the epitome of submissive, she couldn't help glaring hatefully at all the men waving their cash in the air, desperate and crazed. 

If it was noisy before, it was absolutely crazy now. 

"We have a treat for you tonight! Here she is, a beautiful flower, pink and fresh just like spring! Who'd like to taste if she's as sweet as she looks?! Let's start the bid at ten thousand ryo!" 

The announcer hadn't even finished speaking when several men clamored, standing up with money in their hands, eyes on her barely clothed body. 

Oh God. What if someone else bought her instead?

The prices were getting higher and higher. 

How the hell was Kakashi going to outbid them? 

"Seven hundred thousand here!" 

"I hear a-" 

"Seven hundred fifty thousand!" 

"Alright sir! Any-"

"Eight hundred thousand!" 

"Any other bids-" 

A voice, his voice, cut through the chaos, both eyes, trained on her. 

"Nine hundred thousand." 

Sakura practically sagged in relief at the familiar head of silver hair. 

"You got it! Anyone else?" 

Grumbles and sighs were heard all around the room. 

"Alright. Going once to the man with the grey hair…" 

The pinkette began to relax at the sight of her sensei. 

"Going twice…" 

She noted how different, how young he looked without his mask. Almost attractive. Why would he cover his face? No wart. No buck teeth. He was...handsome. But before she could delve into her thoughts further, another voice sliced through the air, halting the announcer's words.

"One million ryo." 

Green eyes snapped to Kakashi who looked just as shocked. 

It can't be. 

But it was. 

Sakura followed the voice and felt her body go completely numb at the sight before her. 

Dark hair, dark eyes and pale skin. 

The last person she expected to see was standing in the middle of the crowd. He stood tall among the sea of strangers, his piercing gaze was so intense she could feel her heart start to race in her chest.

It was Sasuke. 

His dark eyes bore down on her as he spoke again.

"One million ryo for Sakura Haruno." 

Well shit. 

...

So this was just a little plot bunny. I had in my head for a while now. Not sure if I should continue it. But hope you enjoyed reading it! Leave me a comment and tell me whatchu think! - MKSS


	2. C h a n g e s

C h a i n e d 

t o 

Y o u 

{ 2 } 

Kakashi liked to believe he wasn't the type of man who could easily be surprised. 

Early on he'd learned that life was the epitome of unpredictability. This was made abundantly clear when his teammates passed away when they were barely teenagers. Since then, he decided to never find himself in that position again. Lost, confused, shocked. It was a terrible feeling. The kind he never wanted to go through again. 

Simply put, He liked knowing all the variables in any situation, in all aspects of his life. 

When it came to his shinobi duties, he made sure to always look underneath the surface, figure out his enemy's next move before they even began the battle, never allowing himself to end up lost or without a plan. 

When it came to his occupation as a teacher, he made it a point to look beyond words and deeper into the actions of his students, to keep on his toes so that he could support them and be there for his team regardless of the situation. 

When it came to his social life, which in complete honesty wasn't very exciting, he could practically predict what was going to happen at any given night. Whether it was Gai challenging him, claiming that everlasting youth shall prevail and Kakashi will finally lose a drinking match against him or Genma dragging him off to a club to meet with faceless women, eager to finally get him laid. 

But the one thing he found himself completely and utterly unprepared for was the sight of his student, scantily clad in black lace, standing on a brightly lit stage for everyone to see. 

His eyes widened at her form. 

Ivory skin, a lithe body that only an experienced kunoichi could achieve and-were those heels? 

Kakashi's eyes widened even further. 

Sakura walked to the center of the platform, her movements graceful but he could see the tension in her muscles, much like a cat ready to pounce at the slightest sign of danger. 

Her hips swayed and his gaze was instantly drawn to the subtle movement, wondering how the hell she hid all of this underneath her medic uniform. 

Did he expect her to be dressed like a woman for sale? Yes, undoubtedly. 

But did he anticipate she would look like sex personified?  
Well...no. 

He almost choked at what she was wearing. Black lingerie, endless amount of lace, sheer stockings that ended just at her mid thighs paired with black ribbons that seemed to be holding the whole ensemble together. 

It looked like something straight out of his beloved icha-icha novels. 

It seemed almost ironic how he was sure that Sakura wouldn't be able to play this role, that she was out of her depth and simply wasn't comfortable enough to walk around with a leash, that she was much too volatile and temperamental for such a task. Kakashi remembered glancing at her when she wasn't looking back at the Hokage tower. His eyes gave her a quick once over. Not as a shinobi but as a man. Just by looking at her he knew she was still untouched and very new when it came to the realm of sex and all things dark. He had hoped to spare her innocence from being taken away on a mission. All of these reasons were what pushed him to try and persuade the Hokage to find another kunoichi to take her place but it seemed it was beyond his control. 

And clearly, he was just proven wrong. 

Curves he never noticed were suddenly on display, the kind he honestly never noticed or thought about until now. He felt guilty for looking at all, tracing the lines of her body with his gaze, still processing that this was his student, a silver collar around her neck with an angry gaze he was sure had everything to do with the men surrounding her, watching her every move like a predator would to its prey.  
His eyes widened at all the exposed skin, feeling a sudden stab of heat that was entirely unwelcome, hit him quite hard. 

Hold up. 

No. This was his student. This was Sakura for crying out loud. The innocent, lovesick girl who chased after a brooding boy for most her life. The girl who patched him along with the rest of their team whenever they were wounded, especially him who was positively allergic to hospitals. The same girl who he trained, looked after and watched grow. 

Well she definitely grew in more ways than one. 

Kakashi immediately and ruthlessly stamped on that dirty (yet true) thought. 

There was no way he actually liked what he saw. 

Sakura kept her head held high despite the collar she wore, a stark contrast to the women who came through those curtains before her. Fiery jade green eyes glared from beneath thick lashes. She didn't look like a submissive pet ready to be trained. No. She reminded him of a fierce lioness unwilling to be caged. 

Another flash of heat seared through him at thought that maybe he could tame her. 

The copy nin pinched the bridge of his nose, mentally scolding himself for such impure and dangerous thoughts.

Pathetic. He really was a dirty old man for finding a young girl like Sakura sexy and appealing-

The copy nin shook his head in frustration for letting his thoughts get the better of him, for allowing himself to get shocked for even the briefest of moments. Focus. Eventually his mind caught up with the world around him, listening to the bids and how much he would have to give to catch up. 

Fuck. He didn't anticipate that the bids would get this high. 

But then again, he didn't think Sakura could look this appealing in practically nothing. 

Just when he thought he sealed the deal with a large sum of nine hundred thousand ryo, a voice cut through the air, startling Kakashi for the second time that night. 

He found another one of his students among the mass of strangers, his appearance and aura as unreadable as ever. 

Kakashi didn't understand why exactly Sasuke was in the middle of a city that thrived in human trafficking. Truth to be told it seemed like one of the last places he expected to bump into the Uchiha. Interest sparked inside him but now wasn't the time to interview old friends. Maybe later he could search for him and sate his curiosity. For now, he had to make sure Sakura left this auction house with him, otherwise the mission would have more than a few complications. 

Why was Sasuke trying to buy Sakura anyways? An attempt to save her? There's a high possibility that he truly believes this act, that the medic really had been captured and was now on sale. After all, it's not like Sasuke knew they were assigned on an undercover mission. 

"One million and fifty thousand ryo." Kakashi called out, hoping to catch Sasuke's eye. He knew that the younger boy would be able to look underneath the several layers of genjutsu he had protected his identity with, maybe then Sasuke would stop bidding if he saw that his opponent was actually his teacher. 

The Uchiha didn't even flinch. 

"One million and one hundred thousand ryo." 

"One million and one fifty thousand." He countered, hoping the younger man couldn't possibly have more money on him. 

"One million and two hundred." 

"One million and two hundred fifty." 

Sasuke didn't even bother looking back. His eyes were glued to the pinkette currently on stage. 

"One million and five hundred thousand." 

Gasps and sounds of awe echoed around the room at the last bid. 

Fuck. That went beyond the budget the Hokage had given him to make their act believable. 

"Yes sir! Do I hear one million and five hundred fifty thousand?" 

When no one responded, the announcer smiled, gavil at the ready. 

"Going once!..." 

Kakashi scrambled for what to do. Walk up to the Uchiha and tell him that they were on a mission? No, too many witnesses. It could compromise everything. He grit his teeth in frustration. This was not going according to plan. 

"Going twice!..." 

He glanced at Sakura, wanting nothing more than to apologize for screwing up what should have been the easiest part of the job. 

"And sold to the young man in black!" 

He sighed in frustration. 

Tsunade was going to kill him. 

…

Sakura couldn't believe it. 

She'd been chasing Sasuke Uchiha for most of her life and the one time she didn't want to see him, that's when he decided to conveniently show up. She picked up her slack jaw at the ridiculous amount of money he and her sensei were throwing in the air, breathing in deep through her nose in hopes to calm herself down. 

It didn't help that he was staring at her. His gaze made her feel even more exposed, even without the aid of his sharingan. 

She swallowed nervously, meeting his gaze with her own. When she thought about meeting him again in the future, it definitely wasn't in a crowd of men or with a collar around her neck and with him going toe to toe with her sensei. 

Everyone in the room was paying close attention to their bidding war as well, their eyes darting back and forth between the two men who were bidding rather aggressively, eager to see how desperate they were for this particular slave, excited to see how much they were willing to pay. 

Dammit!

Okay, there was still time to fix this. 

Maybe Sasuke was just being nice, thinking she actually had gotten trapped-

That thought instantly worsened her mood. 

The last thing she needed was for him to think she was the same weak and defenseless girl, always waiting for him or Naruto to save her. Frustration burned inside as well as embarrassment. He just had to show up when she was dressed like this didn't he? 

"And that marks the end of the auction! Such an exciting evening I'd say. Alright gentlemen, for those who have purchased one of our merchandise, you will be led by our staff to the waiting rooms where your slaves will be eagerly awaiting your arrival. For those who were sadly outbid, thank you for attending and we hope to see you here once again very soon!" 

The announcer pounded his gavill giddily, clearly excited to have made so much money in just one night. The audience clapped politely, signalling the end of the auction. Soon enough, her chain was pulled by one of the guards and she was led behind velvet curtains, down a staircase and through huge sliding doors, revealing a room painted a deep blue with forest green carpets. 

She had to give it to whoever furnished the rooms and designed the city as a whole. Simply put, it was amazing. Too bad it housed scum and abused men and women. Otherwise it would have been easy to appreciate this place's architecture and beauty. 

Several girls were lined up against the wall, heads down, eyes blank and mouths shut. All of them dressed just like her but in different colors and styles. Obviously Yumi took pride in her work, making sure that each of them looked appealing to the men they were being sold to. But their outfits weren't Sakura's focus. No. She took note of their bodies, if there was any sign of abuse. The medic in her quickly scanned their appearances. To the average person, they wouldn't see anything besides perfect make up and a very risqè choice of clothing. But her eyes knew better. Even Yumi's skilled hands couldn't properly mask the tell tale bruises and red markings around their wrists and ankles or the scratches here and there. 

Anger bubbled at the sight of their tearstained faces and slumped postures. Their eyes looked empty. As if they lost all hope and they were already dead. 

The guard pulled much harder than necessary and placed her at the end of the line, his eyes lingering far too long on her breasts and legs making her ball her fists at his blatant ogling and disrespect. 

Thankfully he disappeared through the doors, leaving the pinkette alone with the other females. 

She glanced to her right, noticing a young girl, much younger than her, sobbing quietly to herself. Her big doe eyes were swollen because of the crying and her eye make up was running now, black streaks cut across her otherwise perfectly made up face, but clearly she didn't care. 

Sakura knew that she shouldn't get involved or speak to any of them. Conversing with another slave might just complicate things even further. Yet when the girl let out small little whimpers of pure unadulterated fear, she cracked. 

"Shhh...it's okay. Don't cry." Sakura whispered under her breath, eyeing the door in case anyone would come in suddenly. 

The girl froze. But still the medic kept speaking, hoping to convey any kind of message to give the girl some strength or courage, something good to latch onto in this dark place. After all, she knew how it felt to be completely helpless and afraid. 

"You're strong. You can handle this. Just don't give up." 

Finally those big brown eyes looked at her. 

Fear, anxiety, sadness reflected back at her in those depths. 

It wasn't fair. 

No one should be subjected to this. To be bought and sold and treated like you were nothing but a source of pleasure and amusement. 

"They can't own you if you don't let them. Despite what these mean…" She fingered the collar around her neck. "You are your own person. Never forget that." 

The girl's eyes widened a fraction then resumed looking straight at the floor as if Sakura hadn't spoken at all. 

Disappointment filled her at her failed attempt to help a fellow woman out. 

A loud bang brought the pinkette back to reality. The doors were now open and in came a group of men. Although they had different ages, looks and sizes, one thing remained the same; the smug, superior expression plastered on their faces. As if they owned the world and the girls present had only one use, one sole purpose which was to pleasure them. 

She bit the inside of her cheek, hard, to keep from yelling obscenities at them. 

"Here you are gentlemen, your prizes, all ready to go! Once again, I do appreciate how much you've spent for these lovely ladies. Enjoy!" 

Sakura really really wanted to punch that giddy smile off the announcer's face. 

One by one the girls were dragged away by their chains, little whimpers or cries of distress leaving their painted lips. 

Finally it was her turn. 

It's fine. Once we're alone I can explain this isn't what it looks like. 

But despite her attempts to calm herself down, worries, questions and thoughts buzzed around her head at a frantic pace. 

How would Sasuke react? It's been almost a year since she'd last seen him. The day he left had been imprinted in her memory, bittersweet and filled with longing. She watched as his figure became nothing more than a small dot on the dirt road that led to the world beyond konoha's gates, away from everyone, from her. 

A part of her still hoped back then. 

But now? 

Now Sakura learned to let go of her fantasies.

She finally let go of her dream that somewhere along his journey, he would finally realize the depth of her love for him and that he might feel the same way. 

Holding on to a hope like that did more damage she realized. Because of that hope, she chose to save herself for him, avoiding any other men who showed any romantic interest in her like the plague. Now she only felt regret for missed opportunities at happiness. 

But standing here in front of him, albeit in nothing but lacy underwear, she felt glad. In all honesty there was some relief. At least he was safe and alright. Not that she expected any different. Obviously he was strong enough to handle himself out in the world. But it gave her some reassurance, seeing him here in person. 

But then came the incredulity. What the hell was he doing here in the first place? Wasn't his intention to see the world through new eyes? Walk on the path of redemption? 

Somehow being in a slave auction didn't scream 'atonement for my sins'. 

It was quiet for a long time and eventually she couldn't take it anymore, impatience biting at her. Maybe he left? She didn't know which was worse, that he appeared out of thin air or he simply vanished again. Despite her better judgement, she looked up and was surprised to see Sasuke so close, his dark eyes calculating as he tilted his head to the side as if examining her. 

Her breath hitched at their close proximity. 

"Sasu-" 

She didn't even get to finish her sentence. 

The man from the auction noticed her looking up and hastily stepped between them, slapping Sakura soundly on the cheek. 

The crack filled the air, stunning the pinkette into silence. 

"How dare you look at your master without his permission! And to speak out of turn? It's unforgivable!" He hissed into her ear, spit flying and landing on her cheek. 

Disgust and anger rolled in her gut, threatening to spill over and into her fists. Punching this poor excuse of a man was so tempting. It truly was. But she couldn't afford any more complications. Not when so much was at stake here. So she settled for digging her nails into the flesh of her thighs, hoping to tear the ridiculous stockings in the process of containing her rage. 

She felt the announcer's presence loom over her, maybe he was going to slap her again, but as suddenly as he appeared, he was out of her personal space. Curious, Sakura looked up discreetly, from beneath her lashes and spotted the man standing several feet away, sweat beading his forehead while his hands were held in front of him as if in surrender. 

Sakura wondered where his earlier confidence had gone but then she noticed Sasuke was staring him down, his sharingan spinning lazily, glowing a bloody red.

"M-many apologies sir. I was merely disciplining your new pet." He stuttered pitifully. 

The dark haired man narrowed his eyes, effectively frightening the man even further before replying. 

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to punish her severely later." 

God. It's been ages since she heard his voice. It's as if nothing has changed. He still sounded calm, cool, collected. He appeared completely at ease here, making Sakura wonder again just what he was doing in a place like this.

"O-oh are you certain sir? I can find you a better one! One that is more compliant and well behaved. Maybe even more well endowed?" 

Her brow twitched in irritation at his insults.  
The man was back to licking the buyer's shoes and had no qualms about being an absolute ass about it. His voice returning to its sugary sweet tone, no longer simmering with anger or quaking with fear. 

Sakura mentally rolled her eyes at this. 

"That won't be necessary." 

"Would you prefer a redhead? Maybe blonde or a brune-" 

"As I said, that won't be necessary." 

The way Sasuke spoke left no room for argument. 

"Of course sir! But be sure to return! After all, no one can ever have too many slaves." A hearty laugh followed his crude statement. 

She was sure she was drawing blood at this point. 

"Hn. One is enough for me." 

Her chain was pulled abruptly, taking her with Sasuke to god knows where. She only hoped that Kakashi was safe and would try to contact her soon. If not, then at least start tracking Ino. 

…

The walk was unbearable. Each time she tried to catch his eye or whisper under her breath, a guard was closeby, watching her every move. If not, Sasuke didn't bother to pay attention to her at all. The only sign that he was still aware of her presence was the occasional tug of her chain, indicating a change in direction or for her to hurry up. 

They rounded a few more corners until they finally arrived in front of a building, most likely a hotel if the number of people going in and out with bags were any indication. He went ahead, keeping his fingers tight on her chain, much to her irritation. 

Passing by the front desk, up six flights of stairs that were absolute hell for Sakura thanks to the heels squeezing her feet uncomfortably, they stopped in front of a deep rosewood door. Anxiety and impatience swirled inside her. This was what she wanted, to finally be alone with Sasuke and talk to him but why did the concept of being alone with the Uchiha suddenly made butterflies erupt in her belly? 

She stamped down the feelings she thought she had successfully buried away in her heart, fully intent on focusing on the task at hand. 

The second the door snapped shut behind her, she was ready to explain everything. Well maybe leave out the details of their mission and why exactly they were here but at least tell Sasuke that this was simply an act. And Kakashi was somewhere probably looking for her to fix this sticky situation. But before she could even start, he spoke. 

"Annoying." 

Sakura didn't move, processing the word that left his lips and the utter gall he had to not even face her while speaking. 

Wait. 

Did he actually-

"Excuse me?" She demanded, feeling her temper flicker into existence. 

"Oh? Are you deaf as well as helpless?" 

Sasuke removed his sword before pouring himself a glass of water, speaking casually as if talking down to her was nothing to him. 

Her eye twitched at his rude commentary. 

"No Sasuke. My hearing is just fine. And if I'm understanding you correctly, you've just called me annoying for no reason at all." 

"There is a reason." He turned, his empty sleeve following the movement. 

"Care to elaborate?" 

Calm. Remain calm. 

"It's as if we're back to our genin days and I have to rescue you again. Only this time, you're wearing less clothes." 

Oh hell no. 

There is a limit to how much Sakura's patience can endure for a day. Being ogled at and treated like a thing? Fine. Having to walk around like a kicked puppy on a leash? Bearable. Wearing an outfit that was basically scraps of cloth tied together with a string then being paraded around before faceless men? Tolerable. But this? Being disrespected by a friend, someone who actually knew her? Unacceptable. 

"Annoying?" Disbelief etched onto her features, she faced him, her tone sugary sweet yet her eyes were the complete opposite. "Let me tell you what's actually annoying Sasuke." 

Her earlier embarrassment completely forgotten, the medic strode up to the Uchiha and glared, ignoring the fact that she was invading his personal space by pointing an accusing finger at his emotionless face.  
"It's being chained and treated like an animal instead of a human being. It's having you pop out of nowhere and ruin everything. It's listening to you be an ass!"

He blinked. 

"Listen here, I don't know what's going on in your head right now, why you just show up after years of silence and I'm going to ignore the fact you're in the middle of a terrible city with equally terrible men who are nothing but perverted pigs for dealing in a slave trade! And just to be clear, I didn't need to be rescued!" 

If he was surprised by her outburst, he (as usual) didn't show it. He merely sighed and regarded her with hooded eyes, appearing very bored. 

"The fact you're wearing that-" He eyed the metal gleaming under the lights.  
"Is enough proof that you needed my help." 

Her eyebrows shot up at his deadpan expression. 

Unbelievable.

She wasn't sure whether to be pleased that he bought their act or irritated that he believed she was weak enough to be overwhelmed by a measly little collar and chain. 

"Did you truly think I would allow myself to be captured like this?" Glaring daggers at him, Sakura held up the chain with one hand while the other gestured to the metal around her neck. 

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time you've gotten caught." 

It was almost painful to admit he was in fact right, but she still held her ground, a stubborn glint in her eye. 

"I didn't need your help." She ground out. 

"I apologize. I didn't know that you wanted a profession in the art of slavery instead of that of a kunoichi." He muttered dryly. 

Her jaw dropped in shock. 

"Seriously? We both know I want to save lives, not waste mine. Besides, we're on a mission! This, all of this, is just an act to get inside and-" The pinkette abruptly stopped then bit her lip. 

Wait. This was a highly covert assignment. Although he was no longer a missing nin, the details of their assignment are't meant to be shared. 

Sasuke noticed her slip up and immediately latched onto it, curiosity burning in his dark eyes. 

Uh-oh. 

"Why would you need to go undercover?" He mused. 

She shook her head, refusing to reply. 

But Sasuke, being the arrogant and intelligent man that he is, pressed on, determined to find out what she was about to say. 

"Sakura."  
This time he took control, stepping closer so she had no choice but to look up at him.  
"Tell me."

"Or what? You'll use your almighty sharingan?" 

"Hn. That would be a waste of chakra because I know you'll tell me what I want to know." 

"What makes you so sure?" 

"Because we have the same enemy here." 

"I highly doubt that." 

A tense silence passed between them. Each staring the other down, unwilling to relent. Sasuke narrowed his eyes then spoke, undeterred by her stubborn behaviour, putting everything together using that genius mind of his. 

"I'm assuming you're not alone." 

"Well-" 

"And you can't implicate konoha in this at all. Otherwise you'd probably have Naruto on this mission, tails blazing and making a huge mess everywhere." 

"That's-"

"Since you're playing a part of a slave, you can't use your monstrous strength. Something I'm sure your mentor wouldn't have missed which explains this." His hand hovered over her collar for a brief moment. 

"Don't." She backed up a bit, trying to put a safe distance between their bodies. He didn't let her get far. For every step she took moving back, he merely went forward until her back touched the door. 

"I couldn't feel your chakra earlier but I didn't doubt it was you on that stage. No one else has pink hair." 

Dammit. Maybe she should've invested in some hair dye. 

"But tracking never was your specialty so it either leaves Kiba or Kakashi. I'm sure it was one of them back at the auction bidding against me. Most probably under a henge. Since you're here, a medic is obviously needed, meaning there's a chance injury may occur or...you're attempting to save someone." 

Screw him and his ridiculously high IQ. Well, just because he put two and two together doesn't mean he should feel like he has the upper hand here. Choosing to appear unaffected, she put on a bored expression. 

Sakura clapped sardonically. 

"Congratulations Sasuke. You figured it out. Can I leave now?" 

"No." 

The pinkette rolled her eyes at this. 

"Ha! People are wrong about you Sasuke. You actually do have a sense of humor." A forced laugh left her lips. 

"Hn."

Sakura straightened, her eyes narrowing. 

"You're actually serious?" 

He nodded. 

"Why the hell not?! All the money you spent earlier didn't actually buy me. I'm not a submissive lapdog you can just boss around." She growled, feeling her temper rising at his ability to boss her around. Did he really think she would just do whatever he wanted? Just like that? Oh boy, he's up for a rude awakening then. 

"I know. But like I said, we have the same enemy and I believe this situation can benefit us mutually." 

Her ire only grew at the realization that their conversation wasn't going anywhere and they were simply wasting time. Time that could have been spent looking for her best friend. 

"No, no it doesn't. This actually sets me back. I could have been with my partner searching for-" 

"For?" 

A frustrated sigh left her lips. 

"Just leave it. I'm leaving to find the rest of my team." 

With a determined nod, she turned on her heel (thank god she didn't falter or slip) and had her hand on the doorknob, ready to leave and get some work done. The sooner she found Kakashi, the sooner they could search for Ino and the sooner they could go home, away from this place and all its horrors. 

"Sakura."  
His voice was steady. Despite speaking softly, she heard every word, feeling its weight and the shock from it. She tried very hard to ignore the pleasant shiver that went through her at hearing her name leave his lips.  
"I'm planning to dismantle this entire city from the inside." 

Her hand on the doorknob froze. 

"Weeks ago some rogue nin, all wearing black and red tried to capture me. They failed of course. Days later even more of them, still in the same uniform, came again. I let one escape, followed him here and found out their plans to enslave men and women." 

Denying she was interested was a lie. So slowly, she turned around, watching Sasuke as he explained. 

"And let's say those people have chakra or special bloodline techniques? They fetch an even higher price." 

Sakura's eyes widened in horror. 

"That's why I'm here. To stop them."  
His jaw was set and his eyes intense.  
"So, do we or don't we have the same enemy?" 

Well when he put it that way. It seemed that, yes they did. But that left another question floating around in the pinkette's mind. 

"That still doesn't explain why you won't let me leave." Suspicion lacing her tone. 

Not missing a beat, he replied easily. 

"I'm targeting the boss of this whole operation. This way there will be less casualties. But after some doing some recon, I found out he doesn't attend the small gatherings like the auction, barely shows his face to outsiders or underlings only to his investors or those who've earned his trust." 

A lightbulb came to life in her head at the sudden revelation. 

"I get it." Her eyes widening in understanding.  
"How can you get close to a slavedriver without having a slave for yourself."  
Everything started to make sense now. All the dots were connecting.  
"That's why you were at the auction tonight."

"Hn." 

But one more thing didn't add up...

"Wait. Wouldn't whoever is in charge notice you? I mean his guys did try to bring you in." 

"I've already taken care of that by spreading some false information. Telling people that I'm interested in their trade."

Figures that he thought of everything. But she didn't expect anything less other than sheer perfection in the form of a well thought out plan. Yet that didn't mean she could just change the priority of their mission.

"But this isn't part of the plan." She rubbed her temples in small slow circles, speaking more to herself than Sasuke. 

"Can't you find someone else?" She tried, desperate to avoid any more complications. 

"I already spent a large sum on you. It'd be suspicious to just lose my slave after buying her." Sasuke pointed out to which Sakura covered her face in her hands. 

A forty hour surgery with no breaks was preferable to this. 

As if sensing her trepidation, he spoke, his tone less demanding but still strong. 

"Wouldn't it be easier for you to search for whoever it is you're looking for with me? In the short amount of time I've been here, I've already managed to set up meetings with this city's major operators. And I know time isn't something you can afford to waste." 

It was tempting. It really was. This way, she could find Ino and free all the other slaves. Every single one of them could be saved. The only thing holding her back was a certain silver haired nin and a buxom blonde, both her teachers. 

Finally, she decided. 

"I need to talk to my partner first." 

"Do you need his permission?" 

"His advice." 

"This is an undercover mission correct?" 

Sakura didn't respond. 

"Meaning once you find who you're looking for, you leave. What about all the other slaves here?" 

Low blow. Sasuke knew how she couldn't say no to saving more lives. She simply couldn't resist. It wasn't in her nature to. 

Green eyes snapped to his. 

"Why do you care about all these people anyway?" 

Black endless eyes stared back. 

"I'm merely atoning for my past sins." 

She looked at him, searching his features, looking for any lies or half truths. 

What she saw reflected in those black eyes was firm resolve. 

Ugh. Why did she have to get stuck on this mission? 

"Fine." 

"Hn-" 

"But only if my partner and my shishou agrees." 

Sasuke didn't look pleased. 

…

Convincing her former teammate to go out for some food in hopes that Kakashi would find them so she could explain the entire situation as well as the proposed plan, was not easy. 

Turns out Sasuke preferred staying indoors for a meal, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and its people. Not that she could blame him, the practices here made her sick to her stomach. 

The rich and influential laughed and dined like royalty while they threw their scraps at their slaves as if they were stray dogs. Some of them had the dignity to ignore such jabs while others, the starved ones, eagerly jumped and scrambled for the bones and crumbs, hoping to lick some meat off to quell their aching hunger. 

The chain around her neck tugged impatiently, bringing her out of her thoughts and into step with the dark haired man. 

"We'll put an end to this." He said quietly under his breath, his eyes staring straight ahead and his lips barely moved, as if he hadn't spoken at all. 

Sakura didn't reply, knowing that anyone could be looking at them but she didn't have to respond. They both knew that he understood her anger for this place and the men behind it. And despite his rude comments and ice block behaviour, she was grateful that she didn't have to go through this alone. 

Minutes later they arrived in a restaurant. It was tasteful with its dark rosewood ceilings and matching floorboards, candles littered each table, giving the whole setting a relaxed atmosphere. Inside there were tables surrounded by couches, a long bar with countless colored bottles that were obviously alcohol, enough to make even her sensei weep with joy, while the outside had several small tables with pale pink pillows for chairs. As they neared, she noticed a young woman holding a stack of menus at the entrance. Around her slim neck was a dark purple collar, inlaid with golden flowers and surprisingly had no chain. She greeted them at the front, a perfect smile on her pretty face. She was dressed provocatively for sure. But definitely not as exposed as her. Her abdomen was bare as well as her arms but the whole outfit didn't scream 'sex' like hers did. 

It was definitely confusing. How is it some women didn't seem as scared as the others? The collar around her neck definitely showed her status but there was no chain and she didn't give off the aura of someone who was frightened for her life. Maybe she had a nicer benefactor than most? 

Sakura could only hope Ino was as lucky. 

"Good evening! Please follow me, I have the perfect table for you sir." 

The waitress was about to lead them inside when Sasuke stopped her. 

"I prefer to sit outside." 

Good. This way Kakashi will be able to find them easier if they were out in the open. 

She nodded vigorously, eager to please a paying customer. 

"Of course! Excellent choice." 

Soon enough Sasuke was seated and just when Sakura was about to take the seat across from him, a slight pain in her neck halted her movements. Green eyes glanced accusingly at him. 

"Slaves don't sit at the table." 

Right. 

She bit her lip, swallowing her pride and proceeded to sit on the ground. 

He ordered tea, tempura and tomatoes. 

Heh. Some things never change. 

A small smirk played on her lips. 

He must have noticed because he glanced at her. 

"Yes?" 

"Oh? You're allowing me to speak?" She let out a dramatic gasp. 

"Hn. You're being annoying." 

"Are you ordering me to be quiet then?" 

Dark eyes narrowed ever so slightly. 

She was playing with fire. 

"Careful, slave." 

And that was Sasuke's specialty. 

But of course, that never stopped her from speaking her mind before. 

Green eyes clashed with black, her tone challenging as she replied. 

"Or what, master?" 

He opened his mouth to speak, most probably to deliver a scathing reply when another party joined their table, his head of silver hair as tousled as ever. 

"Good evening. I couldn't help but notice you look familiar."  
His eyes crinkled at the stoic young man before him.  
"May I join you?" 

"Hn." 

Sasuke gave a curt nod, his eyes flashing red for a brief moment, searching intently at the newcomer. Eventually the tightness around his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, satisfied that the man hidden under layers of genjutsu was none other than their sensei. 

The older man settled himself on a pillow, getting comfortable before pouring himself a cup of steaming tea. 

"Kaka-" She began, whispering, being cautious in case someone was looking their way. 

"Kaito." Her sensei corrected, a secret smile playing on his lips. 

It was still odd, seeing Kakashi unmasked like this. 

How many years had she, along with team seven, wonder what he hid underneath that simple layer of cloth? Memories of their conversations and bets on what kind of facial affliction he had to be ashamed of ran through her mind. And the only thing she thought of right now was - they were all very very wrong. 

Staring at anyone was rude, especially one's shockingly handsome teacher so she immediately looked down. 

"Right." Sakura nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on the table. 

"So what are you doing here in the city of sin? Pleasure or business?" The silver haired nin questioned. 

"Both." 

"Hm. Strange. You don't strike me as someone who has trouble attracting women. Why buy one?" 

"I have specific needs." 

Sitting out here in the open had its benefits. Because of it, tracking them down was much easier. But conversing about mission details? Not so much. 

They were already speaking in code, Sakura could tell. They were both extremely intelligent and could read in between the lines. Yet even then, details like Sasuke's true intentions of buying her can't be explained well through certain words and expressions. 

If only there was a way to talk to Kakashi out here but discreetly. Was that even possible? 

As if sensing her dilema, the copy nin leaned forward, addressing Sasuke but keeping his eyes on her. 

"May I see your slave?" 

Her head snapped up at the request. 

"I was hoping to win her tonight. But sadly I was outbid. You don't mind, do you?" 

"Hn." He grunted, which meant, no he didn't mind. 

But Sakura did. 

"W-wait-" 

"Go to him, slave." 

Ugh. Annoying little…

Praying to god for more patience, she sighed then stood up slowly, avoiding just about everyone's eyes in sheer embarrassment and irritation. 

A large hand, warm and calloused, touched her own, tentative yet strong and sure. 

Then suddenly she was pulled hard, gasping in surprise, she fell- 

-right on his lap. 

Oh god. 

She was sitting intimately on her sensei's legs. 

In lingerie. 

With his hands on her, one resting on her hip while the other curled around her waist. 

A blush rose to her cheeks immediately. 

He pulled her even closer, molding their bodies together, his breath hot against her neck. 

Despite him being completely clothed, she could feel his body heat emanating, warming her practically naked form. She squirmed, surprised with their new position and not comfortable in the slightest. Feeling extremely small, caged within his arms, she attempted to push away, blushing to the roots of her hair. 

"W-what do you think-" 

Her stuttering was interrupted by a voice whispering into the shell of her ear. 

"Just bear this for now Sakura. This way it's less likely people will suspect anything." 

Goosebumps broke out all over at his deep voice. 

Okay. That made sense. This way she could tell him her entire conversation with Sasuke without risking anyone's cover. However that didn't make sitting in your much older teacher's lap any easier. 

"So tell me everything." 

It was hot. Despite the cool evening air and her lack of proper clothing, she felt much too warm. 

"U-uhm." 

Her mind blanked. 

God. What was wrong with her? Why was she stuttering like a certain pale eyed violet haired friend she knew. 

"What did you two talk about?" 

His voice. When did his voice get so low and husky? 

Sakura steeled herself. She could do this. Other kunoichi were doing much more than what was being asked of her now. Besides, Ino's life depended on her. Backing out now because of a little shyness? Ino-pig would scoff, flip her platinum blonde hair, and dare Sakura to do better. 

Come on! If she could mend broken bones, perfect her chakra control and memorize thousands of medical texts, then she can definitely do this. 

Twisting a bit in his hold, she placed an arm over his shoulder so she had better access, leaving practically no space between them, her cheek now next to his. 

He had shaved, she noticed. 

For a brief moment their eyes met. 

He was wearing contacts. Blue ones. For some reason, it didn't look as good as his original mismatched gaze. 

Ignoring the strange flutter in her stomach and labelling it as hunger for dinner, she leaned forward, explaining everything quickly in hushed whispers. 

To any onlookers, they wouldn't see anything out of the ordinary, simply a man enjoying his slave. 

That didn't mean it made it any less awkward and weird. 

"Sasuke's here to end the whole slave trade."  
Her lips accidentally touched the skin right below his ear. Sakura was sure her cheeks were going to melt off from all the blushing but she still continued.  
"Some of their guys tried to capture him. Apparently any slaves with a bloodline technique are highly sought after here." 

"Mm-hm." 

His hands felt increasingly warm on her exposed body. The pinkette wondered how he felt, having his much younger student practically naked on his lap. But it seemed like he wasn't bothered at all, if his relaxed posture and calm expression was anything to go by. 

"H-he found out we're here on a mission. Well, it kinda slipped out. It's my fault. Sorry Kakash-Kaito." She quickly amended, making sure to memorize his new name. 

"Continue." 

"He wants to work together. Also he already made contacts here, has meetings with the higher ups and honestly it's tempting." 

"I hope you're not getting side tracked here Sakura." 

His tone hardened a bit, like he was admonishing her. 

"What? Of course not! I'm not tempted by Sasuke. I meant his proposition. With the three of us working here, finding Ino would be easy." She whispered frantically into his ear.  
"And we could free everyone." She added in a smaller voice. 

"Ahhh…" 

A beat of silence passed between them. 

"I'll contact Genma tonight. Have him relay the change of plans to the Hokage." 

"Does that mean you agree?" She questioned hope clear in her voice. 

He sighed as if spent from a whole day running laps with Gai. 

"It means there's a chance we can pull this off, with her permission of course. And I'm not keen on this business expanding either...but the top priority is Ino. Understood?" 

"Of course." 

"That means-" 

The hand on her hip left to angle her face towards him. 

There wasn't any mask, no barrier between them. So she could feel his breath fanning across her face and his eyes focusing intently on hers. 

Oh my. 

He really was attractive. 

His face was clear of any blemishes, not that she minded any scars or marks, his nose straight and narrow with a jawline as sharp as tenten's best kunai. And his lips, men shouldn't have such soft and sensual looking lips. 

Wait. 

Wait. 

WAIT. 

Did she just describe her sensei's lips? 

Dear god. Was she so sexually starved that she found her extremely late, icha-icha loving sensei appealing? 

Sakura found herself wishing that she could turn back time, take Ino's advice back then when it came to having more fun with men and get some experience in the world of sex and sensuality. Clearly this mission called for a kunoichi with more confidence, experience and knowledge, especially with her own body and sexuality, something she found herself sorely lacking if she was already worked up from just sitting on a man's lap. 

"-no distractions." 

She processed his last words. 

The implication was very clear. 

Sasuke Uchiha was off limits. 

Speaking of the dark haired man, Sakura almost completely forgot about him. Turning her head a bit to the side, she snuck a glance at the quiet man across from them and was surprised to find him staring at them, watching their every move. This only fueled her blush even more. Wonderful. Not only was she being affected by her sensei, but she had an audience too. 

Well, she wasn't planning to go back down that rabbit hole again and she made sure to tell her mentor that. He nodded in reply. But there was a glint in his eyes, a look that told her that he was doubtful. Ignoring that thought and choosing to prove him wrong, she nodded before speaking again. 

"Understood Kaito." 

His nose brushed the side of her cheek as he came closer, murmuring into her ear. The touch sent a jolt of electricity through her body, she only hoped he didn't notice her reaction. 

"And you did well tonight Sakura. I know this must be difficult. And honestly I had my doubts, but as usual, you've proved me wrong."

Her earlier anxieties vanished at his simple words. 

"Thank you." She replied. 

He smiled then. 

It was small but real and again that strange fluttering erupted in her belly. 

Food. 

She needed some food. 

That's what that feeling was. 

As quickly as their conversation began, it ended with Kakashi letting her go and then he directed his attention to the man in front of him. 

It didn't take a genius to figure out Sasuke was listening in on their conversation all along. He didn't say anything, only continued to bite into a tomato, its juices running down his fingers which he proceeded to wipe off with a napkin. 

"You are a very lucky man indeed. A shame I lost tonight." Kakashi pursed his lips for a moment, as if lost in thought before giving Sasuke an innocent smile.  
"But maybe you don't mind sharing her either?" 

Translation : For future meetings where we need to speak again for further discussion on mission details. 

"Hn." Sasuke grunted again, finishing off his last tomato. 

"Splendid. I'll be sure to find you again when I am in need of your services." He nodded to the medic who was now back on her position on the floor. 

The copy nin stood up abruptly, bowed briefly to Sasuke and disappeared in the throngs of people, leaving the pinkette alone with a brooding Uchiha. 

Her stomach growled loudly.

And Sasuke didn't offer her anything. 

Selfish little… 

As curses, so colorful and crude in nature that even Inner Sakura gaped, filled her mind, the man sitting so peacefully called for the bill, paid for his dinner, left a very nice tip for the waitress and tugged on her chain. 

Sakura grit her teeth in anger. 

Really? 

This was pretend. The very least he could do was sneak her some leftovers! 

Annoyed beyond belief, she followed him, glaring daggers (she lost count how many times at this point) at the back of his spiky black head. 

They stopped at a store and he ordered her to wait outside. Like a damn dog! 

She huffed and counted all the ways she could maybe smother him with a pillow when he finally came out, a paper bag in hand. Still he barely acknowledged her presence. 

Again he led through the crowded streets until they arrived back in the hotel. Her heels were pure torture at this point. They really should include this in kunoichi training. Those things were positively lethal. How could anyone walk in anything higher than two inches? 

As soon as the door closed behind her, she opened her mouth to deliver a well practiced speech of how feeding her was definitely part of the deal, otherwise he could forget about her help, when he shoved the paper bag he was carrying into her arms. 

"What?" 

Sasuke was already gone, his sword leaning against the bedside table. 

Sakura could hear the shower running. 

Hesitantly, she peeked into the white paper bag and her eyes widened at its contents. 

Plastic containers filled to the brim with syrup coated anko dumplings and a cup of hot tea. 

She glanced at the bathroom door, unbelieving. 

Then a small smile played on her lips. 

Maybe she wouldn't smother him with a pillow tonight. 

…

Hello again! 

I just wanna say thank you so much for the reviews! I'm honestly blown away by the positive response I got from the first chapter. It was just a small baby plot bunny that poofed into existence and I wasn't sure whether or not to continue. But all your support really encouraged me and got my imagination flowing. Actually this chapter was supposed to be longer but I already reached over 8k words (O.O) 

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I had fun writing it!

Again, stay safe everyone! 

MKSS


	3. C o n f u s i o n s

Disclaimer : Nope. I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, only this plotline. 

Warning : Anyone who is offended or uncomfortable with hot and steamy scenes, especially with Kakashi × Sakura, I suggest you leave this page now. For those who are staying, there's a naked Sasuke in this chapter waiting for you...hehe, enjoy ~

C h a i n e d 

t o 

Y o u 

{ 3 } 

…

The steady flow of hot water filled the tub quickly, steam wafting from the surface, enticing the pinkette beyond belief. She dipped her finger to test the temperature and found it perfect. This was a silver lining in an otherwise extremely stressful day. After her delicious meal (Sasuke was done showering at this point and merely left the door open for her) she disappeared into the bathroom and was pleased to find it fully stocked with fluffy white towels, bath oils, and even a loofah. 

Sakura eyed the large vanity, purposely avoiding her reflection in favor of noting the rather luxurious bathroom. The tiled walls were a creamy yellow, reminiscent of daffodils in summer, perfectly polished sinks, cute little shell shaped soaps and even a showercap. The entire room was bathed in a soft yellow light, giving it a warm feel, a complete contrast to the strikingly cold blood red exterior of the buildings outside. Although the shower on the right was the logical, time efficient choice, the large clawfoot tub immediately called out to her, its shiny white interior just begging to be used. 

Removing the ridiculously sexy lingerie proved to be much easier than putting it on, much to her relief. Her arms and legs slid through the straps, out of the stockings and into the hot water. A contented sigh left her lips as her tight muscles and sore feet began to relax. 

But the satisfaction soon turned into guilt. This wasn't fair. Here she was, enjoying a warm, wonderfully scented bath when her best friend was probably suffering, being forced to do god knows what out somewhere in the bowels of the city. 

The relaxed sigh turned into a frustrated grumble. 

Tilting her head until it rested at the edge of the tub, Sakura let her mind wander. Today did not go as planned. She was hopeful though. Although Sasuke was not part of the equation, having him here along with his obvious strengths, put her mind somewhat at ease. Not only did they have back up outside in the form of a senbon wielding nin but they also had an Uchiha and a pack of dogs who could track almost anyone and anything courtesy of Kakashi. 

The sudden thought of her teacher caused a blush to appear on her freshly washed cheeks.

A blush she promptly slapped with both her hands. 

She dunked her head under water for a good minute before deeming herself clean (physically and mentally) enough to come up for air. 

No. Nope. No way in hell did she actually enjoy their little act just earlier. 

Sitting on her sensei's lap being held as if she was a lover instead of his student. 

Heat curled around in her lower regions. 

Uh-oh.

Mental images of Gai in a bright yellow jumpsuit, mountains of incorrect paperwork, anything remotely gross or upsetting was pushed to the forefront of her mind in hopes of replacing the memory of a lean, muscled body pressed against her side, handsome features and warm hands gripping her-

The blush only intensified beneath her wet fingers. 

What the hell was going on? 

Attraction was normal. Completely human. And as a medic, she knew that her body's reactions aren't strange or even unexpected, especially when faced with a very appealing and fit man. But...still - this was her sensei! The man she's looked up to besides her father since she was just a child. It was one thing to play the part and entirely another to enjoy it. It just seemed so wrong to like his hands on her, to find his face so pleasing and attractive. 

Suddenly a hot bath was the last thing on her mind. She abruptly stood up, her skin warm and pink from the hot water and grabbed the towel off the rack. Sakura dried herself off, still lost in her thoughts. She leaned against the sink, one hand on the counter as she swept her bangs to one side, wiping her face with a small towel, her fingers stopping to trace the purple rhombus on her forehead. The familiar shape gave her some comfort, a small reminder that her chakra was still there, just out of reach. She made a mental note to ask Kakashi to remove her collar and replace it with a normal one. Now that they were separated it was too risky to walk around without chakra. 

Her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror and wondered when she would ever grow more of a bust like Hinata or hips like Tenten. Considering she was well past the stages of adolescence, it was highly unlikely. Spinning in a slow circle, she looked at her form. Sadly there wasn't anything ridiculously special about her looks. Everything was more or less average. Height, weight, breasts and hips. Well, excluding her coloring of course. Pink hair and green eyes alone were her saving grace. But besides that, Sakura felt she wasn't much of a woman compared to her fellow kunoichi. And that wasn't even counting her lack of sexual knowledge and practice. 

Swallowing a groan Sakura hung the towel then searched for-

Wait. 

Her hand froze in mid air. 

Oh dear god no. 

Dread filled her gut suddenly. 

She'd been so focused on getting through the day and making sure the mission would carry on that she'd completely forgot something very important and up until now, something she took for granted. 

Clothes. 

Proper clothes that didn't expose her bust, torso, rear or legs. 

Green eyes looked to the heavens, wondering just who up there did she royally piss off in her previous life to be so unlucky today. 

Great. Now she had the choice of either wearing sexy lingerie to bed or a damp towel or her birthday suit. 

Not very appealing options right there. 

Filled to the capacity with annoyance, she did a very stupid but Sakura like thing for her to do. 

She punched the wall. 

Although there wasn't any chakra in her fist, the tiled wall cracked just the slightest bit, a small piece swinging for a few seconds before falling to the ground with a cheery 'clink'. 

"Dammit."

A sharp knock sounded just as she kicked the offending tile away with her foot. 

"What happened?" 

Of course he heard that. 

"N-nothing!" She cursed herself for sounding so guilty. 

"Hn. So what was that sound?" 

"Forget about it Sasuke." 

She could feel him roll his eyes through the door. 

"If you won't tell me or open the door, I'm coming in." 

He wouldn't. 

As if reading her thoughts he replied. 

"I would." 

Finally relenting, Sakura grabbed the towel, wrapped it around herself quickly then unlocked the door, leaving it open just a few inches. Far enough for him to see the side of her face and close enough for her to easily slam the door shut if he came too near. 

"See? Nothing's wrong so if you'll excuse me-" 

"Sakura." He warned.   
  
A few more moments of silence passed before she realized he wasn't going to let it go. 

"I might have punched the wall…" 

One brow arched at this, clearly waiting for what should be a very practical reason for her sudden anger towards the bathroom wall. 

"I wasn't thinking. It just happened alright?" 

He didn't look convinced. 

"You've been spending too much time with the dobe. He's rubbing off on you." 

A horrified look crossed her face. 

"Take that back." 

"Tch. Not unless you're going to tell me why you're ruining the bathroom." 

She didn't reply. 

"What's the problem?" He sounded like he was running out of patience. In hindsight, that really wasn't his virtue. 

The medic shifted on her feet uncomfortably. 

Option one : Lie and say it's that time of the month so she was prone to random mood swings. 

Option two : The tiles were just too yellow. 

Option three : Slam the door on his stupidly handsome face. 

Sakura sighed before coming clean.   
  
"I don't have any clothes." 

He stared at her. 

She stared back. 

Silence, another very long uncomfortable silence passed between them until- 

-he pulled the door shut with a click. 

Her eyebrows shot up at his blatant disregard and indignation soon replaced her earlier embarrassment. 

What the hell?! The least he could have done was pretend to care! Even a trademark 'Hn' would have been preferable to complete and utter indifference-

Her inner monologue was cut short due to another knock. 

She opened the door a crack, a glare ready on her face when something was shoved through the gap. Something soft, long and navy blue.   
Almost reflexively, Sakura reached out and took it. Sasuke immediately closed the door between them without saying another word. 

A shirt. 

Relief flooded her at the sight of clothing that wasn't lacy or see through. Her hands stretched out the fabric, finding it much too big to really be her size. The sudden flash of red and white by the collar made her freeze just as she was about to slip it over her head. 

It was his shirt. 

The Uchiha fan, clear on the blue cloth halted her movements completely. 

Sakura hated herself for the sudden warmth that spread from her cheeks to her fingers and toes at the surprisingly kind gesture from her otherwise cold and emotionless teammate. She touched the fan with curious fingers, thinking back to when she was younger, when all she ever wanted was to wear this on her own clothes, to have this symbol that showed the world whom she shared a home with, a future with. 

But before nostalgia and happiness could firmly take hold of her, the pinkette mentally shook some sense into herself. 

God. It's just a shirt. Not a marriage proposal. Besides, he was lending her his shirt because he probably didn't want to deal with the awkwardness of her walking around in lacy underwear. It's not like it means anything. Sasuke was practical, logical to the point of calculating ruthlessness. Not exactly the epitome of sentimentality. 

Shrugging off any more thoughts concerning the Uchiha and her sensei, Sakura slipped the shirt over her head and found it comfortable, loose and was long enough to provide the coverage she desperately needed. The sleeves went past her wrists while the hem made it to her mid thigh. Not exactly what she had in mind but definitely more than enough for her to feel relaxed. 

Pulling on the underwear (no way was she going commando anywhere near Sasuke) minus the garters and stockings, which surprisingly enough were removable, Sakura opened the door and made her way to the room. 

Only to freeze at the clichè situation she was now in. 

There was only one bed. 

And there were two of them. 

She scanned the room frantically.

Of course there wasn't a couch or fluffy rug. 

Sasuke was running a towel through his damp black hair, mussing up the strands even more and looking impossibly laid back to her. It seemed surreal to see him do mundane things like shower or towel-dry his hair. For years she had gotten used to seeing Sasuke in the midst of battle, bloody, angry, always training or fighting. 

It was probably not the smartest thing to do, staring and mentally appraising her old teammate, but she couldn't resist.

His body was lean, muscled but not overly so. Even through the light grey cotton shirt she could see the definition of his arms, legs and torso, leading her to believe that he hadn't skipped a day of training despite his lone life on the road. Her eyes continued to wander, up his abdomen and landed on his arm. Or rather, where the rest of his arm should have been. Unlike Naruto, he didn't want to have his hand and forearm healed. A part of her wondered back then why? It wasn't like it would feel any different. Two arms were definitely better than one. However she knew Sasuke wasn't the type of man to make decisions impulsively. If he didn't want his arm back, there was undoubtedly a good reason why. Despite his lack of appendage, Sakura couldn't deny he was still extremely attractive. So much so that he can even be described as beautiful yet he still held an air of masculinity and pure sex appeal that it almost irritated her. Here she was, a fully grown woman and her male teammate was sexier than her. 

Sakura swallowed nervously. 

Well clearly time apart hadn't changed her physical attraction to him. 

Inner Sakura's mouth was watering in anticipation, pushing her to simply throw caution into the wind and enjoy whatever closeness she could get from her childhood crush. 

Hell, this mission was starting to feel like one of Shizune's ridiculously clichè dramas. 

Mentally taping Inner's mouth and limbs, Sakura kept repeating what Kakashi had mentioned earlier - No distractions. 

The sound of Sasuke's boots being deposited by the side of the bed reminded Sakura of her current situation. 

Well, just because he was still annoyingly attractive didn't mean he still had the same sway over her emotions. But...keeping him at a distance and throwing up some precautions didn't sound like a bad idea either. 

Sakura continued to get lost in her thoughts, watching Sasuke sit on the bed, take out a whetting stone and easily, expertly sharpened his sword. 

He was quiet, which didn't come as a surprise to her. After the war, before he decided to go on a new path alone, she noticed he was different. The air around him seemed less heavy, stifled and his expression, although didn't hold a warmth, it was no longer cold, angry or bitter. All the battles, hardships and truths that had surfaced did a number on him. In his own way Sakura knew he had changed. It was subtle and small. To any other person they might not even notice the difference. But after years growing up alongside him in the academy, fighting with and against him on the battlefield, watching his back then finally walking beside him, she could distinguish even the smallest of changes. 

Friendship and family was something he now had and wanted in his life. 

But love? 

Her heart ached pathetically at the thought. 

It seemed not everything was possible. 

And she was done hoping for it. 

"You're staring." 

His matter of fact voice stopped her inner musings immediately. 

Not wanting to seem flustered (she was) at getting caught ogling him, the pinkette put on a smile, changing the topic. 

"Well yeah. It's been a long time since we last saw each other."

"Hn." 

"Anyways...since there's only one bed…" She coughed awkwardly, looking away and hoping to hide the tension she felt.   
"I was thinking we can take turns? I can take the floor tonight." 

Sasuke didn't even look up from his sword. 

"Does the idea of sleeping in the same bed as me make you uncomfortable?"

Shit. 

"What?! No. I assumed you'd be uncomfortable." 

Okay, good save. 

Hnm… Inner rolled her eyes since she couldn't reply with duct tape over her mouth, clearly not satisfied with her response. 

"No. I'm being practical. The bed is large enough for the two of us." 

"I suppose. But I think it wouldn't be appropriate…" She trailed off, hoping he would buy her excuse. 

"Years ago you would've jumped at the chance." He muttered dryly. 

Sakura's eye twitched at his reminder of her previous fangirling ways. 

"Well that was a long time ago." She huffed, glaring at his profile, wondering how could someone be so aloof and uncaring one minute then so cocky and arrogant the next. 

"Hn."   
Sasuke's hand slowed, the stone barely touching the blade.   
"Is this your first time sharing a bed with a man?" 

Heat rose to her cheeks at his curious yet slightly condescending tone. Again she was flustered and embarrassed. She wondered if he realized the innuendo in his seemingly innocent question. But choosing to ignore his jab at her virginal status, She replied, crossing her arms. 

"No." 

Naruto is of the male variety and they did share a bed once on a mission because they didn't have enough money for two rooms. But Sasuke didn't need to know that. 

He tilted his head at that as if lost in thought before responding. 

"Then what's the problem?"

Sakura bit her lip, unable to admit her inner turmoil. 

"I paid a lot of money for this room. I'm not sleeping on the floor." 

The pinkette nodded resolutely. 

"Okay. Fine." 

She grabbed a pillow and the comforter then deposited them on the floor, a few feet away from the bed. 

Sasuke's eyes followed her movement, a slight furrow in his brows. 

"Tch. Why are you making things so difficult." 

The sound of a sword being sheathed reached her ears. 

"I'm not-" 

"Yes you are. Just sleep here." 

"But-

"Sakura." 

When it became abundantly clear that the medic was going to stay huddled in the blanket, looking very much like a wrap he had for breakfast earlier, Sasuke leaned his sword against the wall and stood over her form, irritation at her odd behaviour starting to show on his face. 

"You're behaving like a child." 

Yes. Yes she was and she was ashamed of it. But she wasn't getting any sleep next to him that's for sure. So if this was the price to keep her feelings at bay, then she would gladly pay it. 

"I am not. I'm just more comfortable here on the floor." 

"Right." He muttered, sarcasm dripping from that one syllable.   
"If you're going to act like a child, I'm going to treat you like one." 

Green eyes peeked at him from the white blanket, challenging and unbelieving as if saying 'Oh yeah? How?' 

The dark haired man smirked then, a tiny barely there tilt of the lips but when it came to Sasuke, it might as well have been the equivalent to one of Naruto's largest grins whenever he cast his favorite sexy jutsu. Clearly he was amused with the little gasp of surprise that left her lips the second he quickly knelt down, deftly picked her up with his one arm, away from the little nest she had made for herself on the floor. Obviously he couldn't carry her bridal style with just one limb so he settled for pressing her close to his body to keep her lifted as he walked the few steps to the bed then dropped her on it. 

Sakura bounced on the soft mattress, a look of complete shock on her face, her eyes wide in disbelief. 

As if sensing she was going to argue again, Sasuke's eyes darkened, daring her to speak, his mouth was set in a firm line and for a brief moment, his eyes flashed red. She swallowed at the sight of his sharingan, realizing she did not have her chakra at the moment and maybe she was pushing her luck with him.   
  
He towered over her, looking very menacing at that point but there was no way in hell that she was going to let him corner her or boss her around. And so, in a rather feeble yet determined attempt to gather her dignity after being picked up like a rag doll, Sakura got on her feet and fixed him with a glare. Her hands positioned on her hips, reminiscent of a certain buxom blonde Hokage who was robbed of her alcohol. Sadly she was very petite so despite the added height of the bed frame, they were merely at eye level.

Still, she pressed on, unaware of the fact she was giving the Uchiha an eyeful of her creamy legs. Her temper flared to life at his arrogance, not noticing his eyes darting from her face to her exposed skin or even the way it widened at her pose. 

"You can't tell me what to do. Don't forget I'm here helping you." 

"And I'm returning the favor." 

His matter of fact tone did little to calm her. 

"That doesn't give you the right to just pick me up-" 

"I only did it because you were being impractical and stubborn. It's not like it's your first time in bed with a man right? So I don't understand why you're making a big deal about this." 

Again the words and feelings got caught in her throat. 

A dark brow arched at her lack of reply. 

"We have a meeting with one of the top slavers tomorrow. So stop being annoying-" 

Sakura's fist went flying. Her target? His sinfully attractive face. Sasuke caught her hand with his, an expression of 'you're kidding'.

"Don't call me that." 

"Then stop acting like it." 

Both of them glared hard at the other, unwilling to back down and relent. The fingers around her fist tightened ever so slightly and Sakura could practically feel his chakra humming in the air, crackling like lighting and hot like fire. 

Her temper, which was as fierce as her mentor's flared to life at his rude statement. She'd be damned if she let him or anyone get away after calling her anything remotely offensive. Hell, even Sai couldn't avoid her punches each time he so lovingly called her 'ugly'. 

Fine. She didn't have access to her vast reserves of chakra. But that didn't mean she'd just let him call her annoying without some sort of retribution. Taijutsu was another aspect of her training that she had been focusing on so even without her monstrous strength, she could still put up a fight. 

Just when she pulled her arm back and brought up her leg in an attempt to knee him in the torso, an arm snaked around her waist and pulled, squishing her against a solid chest. Her legs were now on either side of his body, unmoving and very much trapped thanks to his quick movements. The determined glint in her eye faded and the satisfied smirk on her lips disappeared at their close proximity, feeling the breath in her lungs suddenly leave as their bodies were lined together, pressed tight and leaving Sakura blushing to the roots of her hair, something she noticed was happening quite frequently in the span of just a day. 

She was so shocked that she didn't notice the spinning comas of Sasuke's sharingan until it was too late. 

The room faded into black, taking Sakura into an abyss and a dreamless sleep. 

...

Quiet. 

Finally. 

Sasuke knew it wasn't fair to use his bloodline technique when she had no chakra to speak of at the moment, but quite honestly he didn't care, not when he wanted to rest after an extremely eventful day and she was keeping him from blissful sleep by being stubborn for no apparent reason. 

It was almost insulting. It's as if she didn't want to be remotely close to him. Something that was very strange considering how fervently she had declared her love for him years ago. Even before he left, Sasuke still saw the adoration, the loyalty shining in her green eyes. 

Where had that Sakura gone? 

Surprise filled him when she said this wouldn't be the first time she had shared a bed with a man. For some reason, he hoped she was pertaining to the dope. 

He watched her body relax in his arms, her head tilting back and her body following the movement until her back was slightly arched, exposing her ivory neck to his red gaze. 

Now that she was unconscious, he allowed himself to observe her. His eyes and thoughts spinning in his mind much like his famous sharingan. 

After being on the road for a few days, figuring out the plans of these pathetic shinobi and charading as an interested party he assumed that he more or less had everything mapped out, that he knew all the variables and could compute a solution with the least amount of casualties. Technically he did. He found the secret city, got the names of those who could lead him to whoever was in charge and even had the foresight to use the money on all of the nin who had tried to capture him, along with some bounty hunters who were stupid enough to think they could overpower an Uchiha, to 'buy' a slave to keep up the act. 

What he didn't expect was to see his pink haired teammate pretending to be a pleasure slave in the same city he hoped to destroy. 

He didn't expect the rush of feeling that almost overwhelmed him at the sight of Sakura, clad in nothing but black lace, surrounded by nameless men, her normally relaxed face set in an angry glare. 

He first felt anger. How did she manage to get caught by slavers? Far from konoha and deep in the bowels of human trafficking. Wasn't she as powerful as her mentor? Something wasn't adding up and after witnessing first hand her incredible strength, it didn't make sense for her to be caught so easily. 

Next came the irritation. Of course she got caught. Seems like the dobe has changed but clearly she still had a long way to go in terms of training if she let a piece of metal around her neck actually restrain her from escaping. 

Deciding that he couldn't let her suffer, despite her stupidity and out of grudging respect for their shared past, he bid on her. 

Maybe this would benefit him. This way, she would be saved and he had a 'slave' to prove to the higher ups he was indeed serious in their trade. 

Another feeling that passed through him, was one he couldn't name. It seemed to coil around his abdomen, spreading from there to the rest of his body. Never having experienced such a sensation before, Sasuke tried to ignore it. But the longer he stared into those fiery green eyes of hers, the more intense the feeling grew. And when his eyes strayed to the rest of her face, down her neck and lingering on curves and skin, he felt the sudden urge to move closer to her. 

When the faceless man began the bidding war, clearly desperate if his voice was anything to go by, Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his mouth already speaking and shelling out even more money, fully intent on leaving the auction with Sakura in tow. 

It confused him, how she had a look of confusion on her face instead of happiness or relief. She should be glad, crying tears of joy even, that he had come just in time to rescue her from being an actual slave to whoever had enough money to buy her. But no, her eyes seemed clouded, guarded, a far cry from the girl he once knew who trailed after him, her heart on her sleeve, desperate for him to take it. 

In that fangirl's place was a different woman. A woman who seemed more irritated with him than anything else. To say Sasuke was confused was a severe understatement. Nevertheless he made sure to explain the situation, his plan to Sakura and was surprised (not that he'd show it) to find out she was also playing a role, a very provocative role with their sensei. 

Initially he didn't believe it at first, thinking this was all some elaborate ploy or some ridiculous joke on Sakura's part. But after a thorough scan with his sharingan, it seemed that yes, her partner who had seated himself quite comfortably on the cushion across from him at the teahouse, was in fact the famed copy nin himself. 

He knew that Sakura, especially in her profession, would not say no to saving countless lives of abused men and women. Kakashi on the other hand, lacked the bleeding heart his teammate clearly had. Yet she must have said something right or pleaded their case well because it seemed the older man was going along with their change of plans. Sakura had informed him later on that Kakashi would contact Tsunade, communicate her of his presence and his intentions then update them both if they would be allowed to continue. 

He was sure the Hokage would agree. After all, he met the woman and could tell despite her intimidating persona, she was compassionate as well. 

What he wasn't sure about was the sight of Sakura being cradled in the arms of his former teacher. 

Another emotion passed through him. This time it was unpleasant and left him feeling tense. In an attempt to get his mind off said emotion, he focused all his attention on the sweet, ripe tomatoes on his plate. 

Yet his eyes would always return to the pair in front of him. He read their lips (even Kakashi's since he didn't wear a mask, something Sasuke noticed and was disappointed to find no strange deformities he had always assumed were there) and wondered why he was watching anyways. 

Eventually the pair parted. As the copy nin walked away, Sasuke noted the tension in his shoulders and the way his eyes lingered far too long on Sakura's body. 

The tomato in his hand suddenly crushed, juices spilling onto the table. 

He was quick to dispose of the squashed fruit underneath a table napkin before anyone noticed. 

Now here they were, Sakura asleep in his arms and Sasuke, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest. He then noticed she wasn't wearing any bindings. Her breasts were obvious because of her arched back, twin peaks straining against the soft blue fabric, catching his eyes immediately. 

The feeling came back. 

And the sensation of her thighs, silky soft and bare, pressed tightly against his, fueled the feeling. 

It was like being hungry. 

But he wasn't craving food. 

Unsure of the sudden urge to pull Sakura closer, Sasuke quickly lowered her onto the bed, positioning her head on the pillow. The second her pink hair touched the bed, she moved, mumbling something under her breath then turned on her side, facing away from him and curling into herself. 

His shirt, he noticed, was much too loose on her. The neckline gave him an eyeful of her cleavage, revealing soft mounds that left his mouth suddenly dry. The hemline ended right below her rear and showed too much skin. 

Distracting. 

Shaking his head from such confusing and unwelcome thoughts, he grabbed the comforter from the floor and placed it over her body. Just when he decided to finally get some rest, his eyes were suddenly glued to the sight of Sakura sleeping on the bed. Or rather, the Uchiha fan right below her collar. 

For some reason he couldn't look away. 

Looking back, he wasn't even sure why he lent her this one. There were other plain shirts in his pack. 

Sakura shifted again, a sigh leaving her lips, her face relaxed and completely unguarded. She moved to the side, leaving space on the bed for him on the left. 

Something squeezed in his chest at the sight. 

Sasuke grit his teeth, forcing himself to look away and turned off the lights. Standing by the empty side of the bed, he paused, his feet unmoving. He saw the abandoned pillow on the floor and without a moment's hesitation, made his way towards it. Using one hand to place it against the wall next to his sword and he leaned on it. Not exactly ideal or the most comfortable but he'd slept in much worse conditions before. At least here there was a roof over his head and some cushioning behind him. 

Besides, he had a feeling that sleeping next to Sakura would only stir up more emotions in him, the kind he never felt before and was not keen on dealing with again. 

...

The copy nin grunted, the only sound in the otherwise silent hotel room, as he finished yet another grueling round of push ups. 

Sweat dripped down his temples, back and arms, a clear testament to how hard he pushed himself in the span of just a few hours. 

His beloved orange covered book laid open on the bed, just waiting for his fingers to turn each page, reading each paragraph eagerly with both eyes. It's not like jutsus were the only thing he made sure to memorize after all. As much as he wanted to continue where he left off (chapter thirty four, page six, paragraph two) a romantic smutty novel was not going to help him get his mind off the problem. Rather, it might fuel his imagination therefore make the situation much worse, which obviously, he couldn't allow to happen. 

The problem one may ask? 

A certain volatile, temperamental, and much too attractive for her own good, pink haired medic. 

It was pathetic. Truly. How he found himself enjoying the feel of her supple body pressed against his, how he appreciated each curve of her body covered in sheer fabric and lace, how the sensation of her soft lips brushing the skin of his neck made a shiver race down his spine. 

"Fuck." 

Kakashi swore, feeling a familiar rush of heat at the mere memory of Sakura wrapped around him, course through his body. Self disgust soon followed after. 

This was not good. Not good at all. He was getting distracted, something that never happened before and something he couldn't afford to happen now, not when a comrade's life was on the line.

And so, he had decided to use physical exercise as an outlet for all of the tension in his body, which was why he was on push-up number six hundred and fifty two. Up, down, up, down, up, down. He breathed hard through his nose, glaring at the wooden floor beneath his hands as if it held the reason as to why the gods were punishing him in the worst (or was it the best?) way imaginable. 

There was no way he was going to follow that train of thought down the gutter of his mind. No matter how sinfully, deliciously forbidden it would be. Sakura was his student. She trusts him. There was no way in hell he was going to take advantage of that trust. 

Or at least, that's what he told himself, over and over again. It became a mantra, a prayer even. 

Maybe he just needed some kind of release? It had been years since he had last been with a woman. There was always the possibility that he simply had an itch that needed some scratching. When it came down to it, it didn't matter who was in his arms, as long as he was spent and fulfilled. 

Yes. That was definitely it. 

Even ruthless, cold shinobi like himself needed to relax at some point.

This went on for another hour until a 'pop' sounded in the room, alerting Kakashi to the presence of Pakkun, clouds swirling around the pug. The copy nin stopped mid push-up and stood up, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel he found earlier in the bathroom. Worry, not that he'd admit it, lay heavy in the back of his mind. He had sent his furry trackers to search for Ino's scent hours ago, hoping for good news. But just like the previous days, it seemed like they were at a dead end. The dog lacked his usual snarkiness and witty combacks, a clear sign that he was not bringing any good news with him. 

"Sorry Kakashi. We can't find her." 

His brows furrowed at this. 

"Strange." 

"Tell me about it. We've been at this for days. Even if the guy holding her was keeping her under constant surveillance or covering her scent with some sort of substance or jutsu, we should've at least been able to see her somewhere." 

"I know. Clearly we're up against an experienced shinobi. Definitely not a civilian. If that were the case, her chakra wouldn't be masked." 

The canine nodded soberly. "We'll still try and look around." 

Kakashi shook his head. Pushing the dogs till they were bone tired (no pun intended) wasn't going to find Ino any sooner. In fact it might just be a waste of energy at this point. 

"Tell the others to rest for now. I'll meet up with Sakura-chan tomorrow and update her. I suppose her plan might be our only lead right now."

"Hey wait a minute, why isn't she with you anyways?" 

The copy nin scratched the back of his head, regretting briefing his ninken on the details of their mission suddenly. 

"Ahh...long story." 

The pug gave him a deadpan stare. Or at least, whatever was the equivalent of such an expression on a canine. 

"You didn't lose her did you?" A flat tongue licked his wet nose, suspicion clear in his tone. 

"Define lose…" 

Pakkun's eyes narrowed-

"It's rather complicated. Someone else bought her...specifically Sasuke." 

-only to widen in shock. 

"Huh, that is messy. I'm assuming you need me to bring a message to the Hokage informing her about this?" 

Kakashi gave him his patented eye crinkle. 

"You read my mind." 

He held up two scrolls, already wrapped and signed, ready for delivery. His fingers deftly tied both of them to the dog's little vest. 

"One is addressed to Genma just outside the city and the other is for the Hokage. Ahh, bring this with you to konoha. Might make the situation...easier to accept this way." 

A bottle of quality sake, complete with a red ribbon, was pushed towards the pup. 

"Hm. Smart move." Pakkun noted before gingerly taking hold of the ribbon with his teeth. 

With another pop and a promise of treats as soon as the dog returned, Kakashi sighed and ran both his hands through his trademark spiky silver hair, wishing that he hadn't accepted this mission and called in sick. 

...

Green eyes fluttered open before closing again, wanting to savor a day without her shrill alarm clock going off. A sleepy smile graced her lips at the wonderful feel of her relaxed muscles. 

The first thing Sakura realized was how great she slept. A feat that barely happened because of her duties at the hospital and endless training sessions with her mentor. It's as if all the knots in her muscles and the throbbing in her temples had vanished completely. 

The second was the memory of how exactly she fell asleep last night. 

Indignation and irritation bubbled up to the surface at the recollection of how stupid she had been. Well, there was absolutely no remorse or regret for the punch she threw, that was for sure. But dammit, how could she have forgotten about his sharingan? 

Actually no, she didn't forget. She just didn't expect him to use it on her. Well, it was a step up from a quick jab to the back of her neck at least. 

The medic dreaded having to move from the soft bed but this mission wasn't a vacation. So mustering up the willpower to get up, Sakura sat up before stretching her arms over her head until she heard a satisfying 'pop' and made a beeline for the bathroom. Belatedly, she wondered where a certain brooding Uchiha was. 

She had just turned the doorknob and entered, locking it behind her when she realized she just made a grave mistake. 

Because in the shower was a very wet, very naked Sasuke. 

And for some unknown reason, this hotel didn't have any shower curtains. In its place was a sliding glass door which hid nothing at all. 

He wasn't facing her (thank god). His attention was centered on rubbing shampoo into his hair with one hand while stepping into the spray to rinse the soap bubbles covering the rest of him. 

Sakura let out a hoarse squeak at the sight of the rivulets of water trailing from his neck, down his chest in between the ridges of his ridiculously cut abdominals, lower and lower where she could see fine hairs that led to- 

Cheeks flaming like the fires of hell, she squeezed her eyes shut, turned on her heel and made for the door. But of course her razor sharp kunoichi skills just had to fail her now when she needed them the most because in her haste to escape, her foot got caught in what felt like a footrug or a damp towel, resulting in her pitching forward with the grace of a newborn baby giraffe in ice skates. Her arms pinwheeled for a split second and it took this long for Sakura to feel absolutely mortified, denying the sudden flare of heat at the sight of Sasuke in the shower.

She hoped the fall would be quick and prayed maybe he was enjoying his bath so much, he wouldn't notice her presence. Sadly, fate wasn't as kind. No, it was cruel and definitely had some twisted sense of humor. Catching herself with both hands on the tiled floor, eyes still glued shut, the pinkette huffed and kicked the traitorous tangle of cloth around her ankles away in an attempt to salvage her dignity and leave. Or at least, that's what she hoped. Instead, a firm hand circled around her upper right arm, water running down slim fingers and onto the loose shirt she wore. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" 

The cold, annoyed voice of Sasuke reached her ears. 

How is it that he seemed to find her in the most embarrassing situations? 

"Are you decent?" She cursed her voice for sounding higher than usual.

"Hn." 

Attempting to appear unaffected (too late for that) Sakura managed to stand up on her feet, shrugging off the wet hand on her arm. Turning around she noticed he was more or less covered with a white towel wrapped loosely around his hips. 

Goddammit. 

The last thing she needed was for him to think she was back to her fangirling ways. There was no way she was going to suffer awkward silences or tense situations with him as well as the constant worry for her best friend. Besides, Sakura just knew how annoyed he got with any sort of attention she threw his way. 

So affecting an irritated tone, the pinkette addressed the damp Uchiha, her head held high despite the flush still lingering on her cheeks and neck. 

"Nothing. I just needed to use the toilet. Sorry, I didn't realize you were in here." 

"Tch. Clearly." He rolled his eyes.   
"You're practically a civilian without your chakra." 

He didn't. Inner Sakura gaped.

"What?"   
The heat in her face returned full force. But this time it was fueled by anger instead of embarrassment.   
"You're one to talk! You have chakra and the almighty sharingan but I still somehow made it past the door without you noticing." 

Sasuke froze at that. But the moment was quickly shattered by yet another curt statement. 

"Just hurry up. The meeting is going to be at the slave rings."  
His body avoided hers as he opened the door. As if sensing the question on her tongue, he added without looking back,   
"It's where the masters bring their slaves to fight." 

She felt her stomach plummet. 

Ino might have ended up there. 

The hope that the blonde had somehow used her family's technique to free herself was immediately squashed by the cold hard fact that if she did manage enough chakra to accomplish such a task, she would have done so ages ago. Something was obviously holding her back. Was it chakra depletion? Constant torture and surveillance that she couldn't even form hand seals? Or maybe chakra inhibitors like the one that was currently circling Sakura's neck? 

The possibilities were many and quite honestly; bleak. However now was not the time to mope or worry. Not when she could be saving the pig's ass. But before anything else...

"Wait! We need to pass by a clothing store." 

He looked at her blankly. 

"...for clothes." 

Still no change in expression. 

"Dammit Sasuke I can't wear the same underwear this whole trip." 

"Ah…" 

She arched her brow in reply, daring him to say no to basic hygiene. 

"Fine." 

"Good."

"Hn."

"Okay."

"Hn." 

"I'm gonna leave now." 

A split second passed before she realized,

"Hang on, my turn to use the bathroom. So…" 

She made a shoo-ing motion with her hands, eyes darting between him and the door, trying to look as dignified as possible with her bed head and rumpled clothes. 

"Tch. You didn't seem to mind when I was in the shower." 

Sakura's jaw almost dropped. 

Was he smirking? 

Choosing to dive deep into the river of denial, Sakura rolled her eyes. 

"Whatever, it's nothing I haven't seen before." 

Again not technically a lie. Being the sole female in a team of males meant she ended up in several embarrassing situations where they walked around shirtless or just jumped into a lake naked (Naruto) and graced her with a view of certain family jewels. 

At this the smirk disappeared, much to her satisfaction. Yet Sasuke managed to turn the tables once more with his challenging tone. 

"Then why were you in such a hurry to leave?" 

"I was giving you your privacy." 

"And tripped on a towel." 

"I wanted to give you your privacy as fast as possible." 

"You were blushing." 

"I was not." 

"Then what's that?" 

He gave a pointed glance to her still flushed cheeks.

Before Sakura could deliver a scathing reply, he was gone, out the door and leaving her to wonder what the hell just happened. 

...

Sakura was this close to just snapping the ridiculous heels off. 

The shoes wouldn't necessarily be as sexy anymore and chances were she would most likely waddle like a newborn penguin but goddammit, her feet hurt. 

Swallowing the curses that threatened to fly off her tongue, she followed the spiky hair of Sasuke, eager to get some new clothes that at least covered her moderately sized breasts. 

As they walked through the pathways, she kept stealing small glances from her peripheral vision, hoping to catch a long mane of platinum blonde hair. Sadly her search proved fruitless. There was no sign of Ino at all. 

Her collar felt heavy on her neck as the pair kept walking. Finally they arrived in what looked like a shopping district. Stores painted different colors ranging from pastel pink to a startling tangerine greeted her eyes. Some had glass windows with mannequins dressed in such risquè outfits she thought they might as well parade around naked. 

Sakura stifled down the rage that bubbled up inside her at the harsh cries of a young woman to her right. 

This was all going to end. She was going to make sure of it. 

Sasuke stopped walking so Sakura froze in her footsteps. The pair stood in front of a row of stores, all selling either collars, sex toys and yes, you guessed it, even more lingerie. 

The medic muttered low under her breath, knowing that Sasuke would be able to hear her even in the midst of all the people walking past them. 

"These aren't clothes Sasuke." 

His superior look screamed 'and?'  
"At least you won't be wearing the same thing everyday."

"We agreed on clothes. Not this." 

At this he pulled on her chain, bringing their forms much too close for her comfort, his lips a few inches from her ear. 

"Your mission is to act like a slave, meaning you have to dress like one." 

Keeping her irritation in check, she argued under her breath, 

"But you're the master here. It depends on you. So no one would think twice if you let me dress like a normal person."

"And risk suspicion? They'll question if my interest is genuine when they see my slave not looking like one." 

Sakura had no rebuttal for this so she settled for biting on her lip hard enough to draw blood. 

"Well isn't this a nice surprise?" 

The deep, laidback voice of Kakashi cut through their low conversation. She looked away from Sasuke's intense gaze and into the face of her sensei. 

"Funny running into you here. I was just thinking of your pretty little pet." 

Sakura internally bristled at the way he addressed her but wisely kept her mouth shut.

"Shopping for her I see. Maybe I can help?" 

Sasuke relaxed his hold on her chain, eyes now focused on the older man next to them. 

"Hn." 

"Splendid. I'll have her back in a few hours." 

When Sasuke didn't move, Kakashi raised an eyebrow, waiting. 

"Just one hour." The dark haired man grunted. 

"That's not enough time for me I'm afraid. I'm sure a man such as yourself understands these things. Besides, wouldn't you want her to be...ah, suitably attired?" 

Translation : We need more time to talk about the mission. 

"I have a meeting after this. She needs to be there." 

A tense moment passed between before the older man shrugged. 

"Ah...well, I suppose an hour will have to do, for now." 

"Make sure to drop her off at the slave rings. I'll be waiting at the entrance."

The silver haired man then grabbed her chain from Sasuke's grip, pulling her form towards his. She didn't notice the hesitation in the younger man or the way he set his jaw at their proximity. No, she was too busy flushing furiously and mentally berating herself for being so damn flustered in the middle of a mission. 

This whole ordeal definitely sounded like another awkward disaster just waiting to happen but Sakura stomped on that fear and tried her best to relax, or at least took it as she played the submissive slave. 

The three of them parted, Sasuke walking off to god knows where while she followed after Kakashi. Thankfully they didn't have to walk long. Soon enough they entered a shop, its walls were a deep rose, a bell tinkling as they passed through the door, announcing their entrance to the employees inside. 

The store itself was quite nice. Warm yellow lighting, plush velvet couches and floor length mirrors. Sakura thought something was finally going right on this mission from hell. That is, until she noticed every damn piece of clothing was lingerie. Disappointment swirled inside as she came to the realization she'd have to dress like a stripper for the duration of the mission.

A petite woman was sitting at the cash register, her head bowed and eyes on the ground. A yellow collar complete with matching chain immediately grabbed Sakura's attention. 

Horrible. It seemed like almost the entire populace were made up of slaves. 

But before the pinkette could imagine all the things she could do to these slavers once she had her chakra, a bunch of hangers and clothes were pushed into her arms. 

"Wh-"

"Quiet." Kakashi muttered, his eyes cold and hard, a complete contrast to what she had seen just yesterday. 

Right. He was a master. And she was a slave. No talking back, no looking up. 

Sakura hated this. But she'd be damned if she let a little discomfort break her. She'd come too far in her training for such a thing. 

"Hm. I think this will look good on you." 

He pointed to a mannequin that wore a thong that criss-crossed at the crotch area until it met in a little bow and a bra that had sheer fabric sewn on either cup, falling around the torso in light waves. It was also bubblegum pink 

She bit back a groan. 

Although his voice and features were carefully blank, she just knew he was laughing it up inside. 

"Or this one." 

The next outfit he gestured to was a bright purple. Tiny buckles held the bra in place and on the mannequin's legs were stockings in black lace trim. 

Oh dear god. 

She wasn't sure which was worse, running into her childhood crush in the middle of his shower and caught blushing like a mad schoolgirl or shopping for lingerie with her teacher. 

It seemed like he finally had his fun because he made a beeline for the dressing rooms, dragging her along in his wake. 

All Sakura wanted to do was talk to Kakashi about any information he had on Ino and her location. Any kind of intel would make all the tension and awkwardness a much easier pill to swallow. 

The dressing room was, well not a room at all. One corner of the room was covered with a velvet curtain big enough for just one person and the rest of the area was covered with even more full length mirrors and there were plush red armchairs situated on each side. A little red light was blinking occasionally from the left side. Sakura looked discreetly and noted with frustration that it was indeed a camera on the ceiling. 

Great, no blind spots.

How the hell were they going to talk like this?

Kakashi didn't, as usual, seem as worried as she was. Instead he let go of her chain, pushing her into the lone fitting room with an arm full of lingerie. 

"Wait-" 

"Tut, tut...I said quiet, slave. Unless you want to be disciplined?" 

He narrowed his eyes and set his jaw, one brow arched as he waited for her reply. The threat hung in the air heavy between them. She knew this was all an act but it didn't make her reactions any less real. 

"N-no." 

"No, what?" 

"No, master." 

"Good. Now try on the red one first. Hurry up, I don't like to be kept waiting." 

Sakura closed the curtain between them savagely, choosing to swallow her scathing remark that what he said was quite rich, coming from the embodiment of lateness. 

Her fingers held up the red number. 

He can't possibly be serious. 

When Kakashi began tapping his foot very loudly, Sakura concluded that yes, he was dead serious and so she stripped off the black underwear only to replace it with a red one that was not as lacey but still screamed sex. 

The top half was, to her absolute horror, a corset, strung tight together with black ribbons that looped and winded around her torso, accentuating her already small waist. The panties were, thank heavens, not as revealing, they reminded her of her training shorts yet very, very, very short and tight, giving anyone an eyeful of her ass but at least it wasn't a thong. 

She stalled for a few more minutes until finally sliding the curtain to the left, walking out and looking everywhere but her sensei's face. He was sitting on one of the plush armchairs, looking like he was completely at ease as if he looked at almost naked women everyday. 

Sakura did her best to ignore how good he looked, long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, arms propped loosely on the sides of the armchair, hair as messy as ever and half lidded eyes. 

Sakura felt so exposed. More so now than she did yesterday at the auction house. Kakashi's gaze felt hot and she watched his eyes rove her body from her head to her toes, slowly, making her feel strangely self-conscious and for a split second, she wondered if he liked what he saw. 

But then that dangerous thought was quickly extinguished by the fact he was her sensei and good respectable women did not wonder if their teachers thought they were sexy. 

"Come closer." 

She took a few steps until she was right in front of him, eyes still averted. 

God what was wrong with her? Why couldn't she just ooze confidence or sensuality like any other kunoichi? 

His body was suddenly very close to hers, her eyes now level with his chest as his hands settled on her shoulders. He used this as his leverage to turn her around, slowly, until her back was now almost touching his front. Sakura followed the slight movement, now faced with the full length mirror, watching her body being lined up with Kakashi's. 

She desperately ignored the blush that rose to her cheeks at his intense look.

"Very nice." He said, loud enough for the camera and the cashier out front to hear.   
"Slave, would you like to know all the things I'd like to do to you while you wear this?" 

No. No. No. Yes - wait, no. 

Then he leaned forward, his lips now level with her ear to whisper, "I received word from the Hokage this morning." 

Sakura's eyes widened. 

His hands were now on either side of her hips while he kept speaking, under the pretense he was murmuring dirty words and unspeakable things he'd like to do to her later. 

"Sasuke is now a part of this mission and as long as we won't implicate konoha…" 

Even though she was already in heels, he still towered over her completely, her petite form nothing compared to his six foot frame. She noticed his broad shoulders, muscled form and realized just now how everything about him was so masculine. Growing up, all she ever saw him as was a teacher, maybe even an older brother or slightly perverted uncle. But now she was seeing him in a completely new and different light. 

She watched almost helplessly as Kakashi used one hand to trace the ribbons adorning the corset. 

"And we focus on our top priority…" 

Hot. It was too hot. Wasn't there any air-conditioning in here? 

"Then we can bring down the rest of this operation."

The other hand tipped her chin upwards and Sakura swallowed at their reflection in the mirror. 

A woman, blushing, breathing shallowly, her hair mussed slightly and her body covered in red and black fabric meant to tease, to entice, held by a man, tall, intimidating, handsome and giving off an aura of mystery and confidence. 

It was like looking on a cover of some cheesy romance novel. Or worse - icha icha. 

The tip of his nose brushed the length of her cheek and stopped by her jaw where he spoke again, his voice a husky growl that did something funny to her insides. 

"My dogs didn't find anything yet."

The pleasant, dangerous heat that flowed through her veins was cooled instantly by this piece of news. 

Sakura of her own accord and without really thinking, abruptly turned within his arms and leaned close, pressing her body against his as she stood on her tiptoes, lips barely brushing his neck. 

"What?! But you've been here for days? How is that even possible?" 

She hoped that to any passerby she looked like a willing slave eager to please her master. 

Kakashi stiffened for a second before regaining his composure. 

His arms locked around her, hands back to wandering her body, tracing the black fabric trimming her ridiculously tiny shorts. She hoped he didn't notice the slight shudder that coursed through her. 

"Whoever has her is a shinobi, I'm sure of it. Strong and smart enough to overpower her mind control jutsu and mask her chakra." 

Unfortunately, it seemed like the only way to ever communicate without being noticed was to get up close and personal. Sakura steeled her resolve and tried not to get distracted by the musky scent of Kakashi, trying to keep her breathing under control. 

"So what's our next move?" 

Fingertips lightly trailed up and down her arms, goosebumps rising in their wake. 

"We search the old fashioned way. Make connections." A finger made idle circles in the middle of her back, her wrists, thighs. 

The heat was back, hotter, hungrier than before. Was this what it felt like to be aroused?

"Alright. Sasuke and I are going to meet some later at the slave rings. Hopefully we finally get a lead." 

Large hands ghosted over the curve of her rear before one hand settled on her hip while the other traced her spine. The touch was light but electric, making Sakura bite her lip in hopes to keep any embarrassing sounds at bay. 

"Practically everyone here looks suspicious so both of you keep an eye out for anyone with a strong chakra signature. That would cut down our list of suspects at the very least."

Her own arms hung limply on her sides and she had to put effort into resisting the urge to place them on his chest or neck. Standing so close to him, she could see all the small silvery scars that littered his neck, collarbone and one on his chin. But all these marks didn't make him any less appealing. Hell, if anything it only made him look all the more powerful, it was a testament of his strength on the battlefield. 

Ugh. Stop. Stop finding Kakashi hot. 

As he spoke, Sakura couldn't help but note how deep and husky he sounded. 

"I'll make a couple rounds in the city. Check out the seedier establishments. Let's hope Ino didn't end up working in those areas though." 

The hand on her hip came to rest at the back of her neck. She could only hope he didn't feel how flushed her skin was. 

"Alright. How do I find you later to report what we find?" She questioned. 

A sigh almost left her lips when the hand curled around her nape started rubbing small circles into her skin. 

"I'll send Pakkun to you and we can arrange when and where." 

Every small touch on her skin and brush of his fingers felt good. Too good. 

Sakura made the mistake of looking into his eyes. 

They were dark, intense and looked reminiscent of the men surrounding her at the auction. 

The sight made her pause. 

Did...did Kakashi find her attractive?

The idea that the famous copy-nin, renowned icha-icha collecter, annoyingly late sensei wanting her sounded so insane, so weird and maybe even plain wrong. 

Then why the hell did she feel the telltale feeling of excitement in the pit of her stomach? 

Feeling bold and justifying that they were constantly under surveillance, Sakura raised one hand to brush some wayward strands of silver hair away from his forehead, fingers running through his hair for the briefest of moments, reveling in its softness and settling behind his neck. 

Kakashi's eyes widened at her actions. 

Technically she was only briefed to keep her temper in check and refrain from creating any earthquakes with her fists (unlikely thanks to the lack of chakra) no one said anything about willingly touching her captor. So technically, she wasn't doing anything wrong. 

Curiosity and something dangerous burned behind his eyes. 

Her breath caught in her throat at the hunger she saw there. 

But just as suddenly as it appeared, the expression was gone, replaced with a cold detachment that she saw many times in the aftermath of a battlefield. 

"That's enough," He released her and stepped backwards before turning away completely.  
"I'm sure your master will be needing you soon." 

Kakashi waved to the cashier. 

"Excuse me, I'd like to have everything in the dressing room wrapped. We'll take everything." 

Ignoring her racing heart and the fact it hasn't been an hour yet, Sakura returned her gaze to the floor, putting on her mask of the submissive slave, hoping that Kakashi wouldn't notice the blush on her cheeks. 

"Is that all, sir?" 

"It is. Thank you. Let's go, pet." 

Her empty hands were suddenly carrying paper bags filled with lingerie hidden in colored tissue paper. 

"Yes, master."

Her chain was tugged once more and she followed after Kakashi, wondering what was going through his mind. He was probably grossed out or upset she took their act too far. 

Sakura was too engrossed in her fears that she failed to notice the slight tinge of pink on his cheeks and his dilated pupils or the way he discreetly adjusted his pants. 

...

Please read! 

Hallo dear readers! 

So just to make things clear, I am aware that some details here aren't exactly the same as the manga (well obviously this is fanfic hehe) so of course I tweaked some details to fit the plot line. Nevertheless I hope you'll still read and enjoy this fic despite its lack of canon-ness. Although I do try to keep our favorite shinobi and medic in character. 

Oof- 10.7k words! I was about to update after 5 but...meh what the hell? The words kept coming so here ya go! 

Reviews = Inspiration = Faster updates 

(So, you know what to do, wink wink) 

Again I'm really happy that people are actually enjoying this story. Each review, favorite or follow I get literally makes my day and I just wanna let you all know how much I appreciate it ~ 

-MKSS 


	4. C o n f l i c t s

Disclaimer : Nope, still don't own. 

Warning : As usual, there are some heated scenes ahead. Maybe a bit of violence too. 

C h a i n e d 

t o 

Y o u 

{ 4 } 

...

"You dirty…" 

Kakashi began, eyes narrowing on the dark blue glass he held in his hand. 

"Depraved…" 

He downed the contents in one gulp. 

"Pathetic..." 

He welcomed the burn that ran along his throat. 

"Perverted…" 

The glass started to chip under the pressure. 

"Sorry excuse of a man-"

"Uh...you okay there?" 

The horribly dark aura surrounding the famed copy nin immediately vanished at the sound of a worried if not slightly frightened voice. Placing a perfectly amiable expression on his previously tense face, Kakashi turned to the bartender and held out his glass, a silent request for more. 

"Of course. I was merely thinking about the ninja who crossed me just recently." 

Was what he said. However what he truly meant and who he was actually pertaining to was himself, for enjoying every single second he held Sakura in his arms. 

He knew this was all an act. And a fairly large part of him justified that he was simply playing his role, being the epitome of a trained shinobi and fulfilling his task as per request of the Hokage and this mission. The other, smaller, much more honest, part of him denied this vehemently, fully aware that his actions went beyond what was necessary. He didn't need to have her try on the red little number specifically. He didn't need to run his hands along the length of her body, arms and legs. He didn't need to appreciate every curve and dip of her and he definitely didn't need to get that close to her to converse mission details.

At this new piece of information, the bartender who reminded Kakashi vaguely of a much calmer Gai with his bowl cut hair, grabbed his glass to refill it quickly before returning just as fast and leaned his elbows on the table, eyes shining with curiosity. 

"Oh ho, ninja business is it? Interesting. We get a lot of them around here." 

"Do you now?" 

Maybe today was starting to look up. 

"Heh, but since so many come around here, it's hard to keep track ya know? I need somethin' to...jog my memory. If you catch my drift?..." 

Spoke too soon then. 

With his bad mood and jumbled thoughts, the only somethin' he wanted to give the greedy man was a good head slam on the bar table he was currently facing. But sadly, he was a highly esteemed shinobi for a reason, and that was to always remain cool, never lose focus or sight of the mission, not even for sexy, attractive, pink haired- 

Shit. 

"Hello? You gonna pay me for some details of what?" 

Kakashi looked at the wood beneath his fingers. 

Then back up to the bowl cut man holding his grubby hands out. 

"Well?" 

The table seemed sturdy enough. 

His finger twitched at the sight of the man's slimy grin. 

But before he could move a muscle, a kimono clad arm appeared out of nowhere, slicing in between the air and their conversation. 

"Mind if I join in?" 

The copy nin's eyes looked at the koi fish embroidered on the fabric, up and up until he was face to face with a woman with short black hair and slanted eyes that were most definitely sizing him up. 

"This conversation sounds very interesting." 

Judging from the fine fabric on her body and the air of confidence surrounding the newcomer, Kakashi knew she was from the upper crust of this dirty sesspool of sex and money.

Suspicion raced through the copy nin at her sudden display of interest, especially when he was sure he was speaking to the bartender in a low tone, which meant this newcomer was eavesdropping on him. 

Kakashi decided to play along. 

"Only if I can buy you a drink." 

Red painted lips curled at his reply. 

…

Sakura felt the paper bag slowly crumple in between her fingers. Frustration, confusion and tension kept her even more on edge than usual as she made her way through the metal plated doors, Sasuke striding confidently a few paces ahead of her. The building they had just entered was considerably less flashy compared to the establishments they had passed yesterday. Its walls were a dark grey color while the roofs were pitch black. No windows to speak of at all, just one solitary door at the front, riddled with locks and jutsus. 

Hopefully all the added security meant whoever owned this place had something, or someone to hide. 

Once inside, they followed the throng of people who were chatting excitedly about all the blood that would be spilt, who would win the next match or how much they were willing to bet. Large red lanterns hung from the arched ceiling, giving an eerie reddish glow to the hallway, reminding Sakura too much of freshly spilt blood. 

But despite the new lead the two ninja were walking towards which brought them a step closer to reaching their goals, Sakura couldn't erase the myriad of emotions swirling inside her. Slim fingers twitched, practically itching to land a hit on something, anything in hopes to release her pent up feelings. 

The reason she was this close to punching another wall was a silver haired copy nin who had a penchant for eloquently written porn. 

Kakashi. 

Just what the hell happened earlier? 

He had left her at the entrance where Sasuke was already waiting for her, dropping her chain into the Uchiha's hand. She couldn't help but glance at him from beneath her lashes, observing, finding it difficult to believe that he was capable of being so attractive, that such intense, heated reactions were just hidden beneath the surface of his normally stoic face. The older man swiftly left afterwards, his eyes crinkled and a pleasant smile on his lips. The pinkette tried her best to appear as unaffected as he did but found it extremely difficult to do so. Not when she still felt the burn of his fingers tracing circles on her skin. Not when she could still smell traces of his musky scent, an aroma that was hard to describe but so uniquely him. Not when the way he looked at her made her feel so desirable, beautiful and wanted in the most sinful and delicious way possible. 

This can't be happening. 

She was being turned on by thoughts of Kakashi! 

Heat crawled up her cheeks at the mere memory of him. 

The lingering touches, heated looks, and dear gods, his voice. It was definitely a crime, a sin against the gods themselves for sounding so sexy and-

Dammit! 

Inner growled, clearly upset the rush of memories was halted by Sakura who was berating herself for riding the train of thought down the gutter, past all reason and deep into all things taboo and forbidden. 

Hey! I was enjoying that. Inner pouted.

Well, I wasn't. 

Oh, didn't realize we were lying now.

I am not in the mood for you right now. 

Inner smirked at this.

Yeah, you're in the mood for some sexy piece of copy nin ass-

Ugh, just shut the hell up!

Only if we finally cop a feel of his rock hard-

Stop that! He's our sensei! 

I know, Inner purred, her eyes glinting with mischief. That's what makes everything so much more fun. 

You're impossible. Just please shut up? I have a mission to focus on. 

You mean, a man to be flirting with. 

Goddamit!

After finally stuffing her inner into the deepest recesses of her mind, Sakura focused on her surroundings, eyes scanning each face quickly, hoping to find a familiar head of blonde hair and pale blue eyes. 

The room was massive. Despite being called a slave ring, which in all honestly gave Sakura the impression of a dirty, cheap fenced area filled with scuffling men in chains, the entire place looked expensive and very well furnished. As if they had just walked into a five star hotel instead of a fighting arena. The same red lanterns hung from each wall while one solitary spotlight was placed right in the middle of the high ceiling above their heads. Sakura noticed an elevated vicinity to her left and quickly glanced at it, curiosity biting at her. There was a small flight of stairs that led to what looked like a V.I.P. area. Dark velvet curtains hung around the table and its inhabitants, shrouding them and keeping her from looking too closely. 

In the center of the room was a large cage, shaped like a hexagon, its six sides and one ceiling were made up of thick steel bars, thrumming with what looked to be electricity. This seemed like an overkill. The men inside were already collared and the bars were at least three inches thick. The pinkette inwardly fumed at the brutality evident everywhere. 

Women clad in mini corsets, matching thongs and black sheer stockings walked around in high heels, silver platters in their hands, offering sake and other kinds of alcohol Sakura couldn't even name. Their outfits glinting gold when they walked near the spotlight. 

Her ears felt like they were going to pop from all the noise. Obscenities, demands for blood and cash filled the air and made her sick to her stomach. People actually enjoyed watching these captured men suffer, paying for it eagerly as if killing and dying was merely a television show. 

Sakura was used to blood, lots of it considering her occupation in life as a medical ninja. Yet witnessing the two men inside the cage, thick collars around their necks with bruises and cuts adorning their forms like accessories made her insides churn painfully. 

One of them was cradling his arm close to his bleeding chest, the limb twisted in an unnatural gruesome angle while the other spat out a mouthful of blood and saliva, a splash of red now decorating the cage's floor like paint. Although anger flowed off these two men in waves, Sakura knew better. Something else was driving them to fight, to push despite the pain they felt. 

Fear. 

The pinkette felt the medic in her worry for the wounds these two had on their bodies but knew she couldn't help them now. 

Another splatter of red stained the arena. 

These people weren't trained killers. There was no finesse or skill in their movements. No burning hatred or desire to murder the other one standing. Only teeth, desperation and the will to survive. 

"Tch, hurry up." Sasuke muttered, tugging on her chain with a bit of force. It definitely didn't hurt but clearly he was in a rush. 

The medic picked up the pace, being careful to still place some distance between her and Sasuke. It wasn't easy pretending to be his slave, following him around mostly for show, especially when there were some unresolved feelings somewhere in the mix. Her pride and dignity was taking a brutal hit thanks to her current wardrobe and the metal strapped around her neck. Yet the longer she endured meant the closer they were to ending this entire business altogether, a thought that soothed her fraying nerves somewhat. And whenever she imagined the satisfaction of breaking each chain and collar herself, releasing some of the rage she'd been bottling up inside on these cruel men, her constantly flaring temper would instantly cool. 

Another impatient tug, signaling her to go even faster. 

Green eyes glanced at the stoic man, wondering how the hell he kept every single emotion he had so carefully hidden. It was a skill that she had yet to perfect. Although Sakura wasn't completely at ease around the youngest Uchiha, she didn't hate being around him. Truth to be told, she preferred his cold, apathetic company instead of Kakashi's near overwhelming presence. 

At least with Sasuke, she knew where she stood. She understood her place in his life and the limitations of that position. But with her sensei...she had no idea. 

Perhaps that was why she behaved the way she did in the dressing room? To sate her curiosity? To test his limits? To test her own? 

Invading his personal space, watching his eyes darken even with contacts hiding his actual color, felt thrilling, dangerous even. 

This didn't make any sense. Infatuation, attraction even crushes were all within the pinkette's scope of expertise. But what she felt around her teacher went beyond that. It was as if a fire was being stoked inside her body and everything, every touch, every move he made merely fueled its flames until it felt like she was being consumed by a raging inferno. 

Why did Kakashi, of all people in the damn world, stir such feelings inside her? 

Sakura didn't have time to answer these questions because she was suddenly pulled forward sharply thanks to the damn collar which nearly resulted with her landing on her hands and knees yet again. A tiny grunt left her lips at Sasuke's rough treatment. Sure this was an act but dammit he could at least give her some sort of warning next time. 

"Ahhh...if it isn't the famous Sasuke Uchiha!" 

Green eyes widened at where they were. 

Sasuke had maneuvered them through the plush seats that lined the room, surrounding the metal cage and had them stationed at the end of the set of steps that led to the elevated platform. A quick glance up was more than enough time for her to see who had spoken and what was hidden behind the velvet curtains. A lean man with snow white hair and an amused smile sat on a large loveseat with two women on either side of him. They were beautiful, draped on the man's body, eyes half-lidded and curious. With matching collars that glinted black inlaid with tiny pearls shone around their slim necks. They almost looked similar with their long black hair and grey eyes, pink lips and pale skin. Sakura wondered if they were sisters. Their chains were wrapped loosely around his hands which were spread in a welcoming gesture towards Sasuke. 

Being careful to remain as passive and quiet as possible, the pinkette kept her eyes glued to her heeled feet, watching her toes but making sure to listen in on their conversation. 

"Hn." 

"A man of few words. I can respect that." 

A hearty chuckle followed the man's statement. 

"But of course, you'll have to say much more to pique my interest. Come join us won't you?" 

Step by agonizing step they went up the stairs, closer to the strange man and eerie eyes. 

Too soon they arrived in what looked to be a private box, secluded and opulently designed with a ornately designed table that held several champagne bottles of different sizes and colors, thin wine glasses filled with a variety of drinks and even a bowl of plump and juicy cherries, complete with dollops of thick white cream drizzled all over the shiny red fruits. The chairs were even fancier than the ones at the first floor with its soft velvet covering and feathered throw pillows. Her eyes glanced upwards at the trio on the loveseat, not at all surprised to see the same lavishness in their choice of clothes. The white haired male wore a black button down shirt, long sleeves rolled up to his elbows carelessly while his top buttons were clearly forgotten, showcasing fair skin and a muscled physique. Red leather pants clung to his legs, shaping them in a way that left little to the imagination. He looked extremely relaxed, leaned back slightly, eyes alight with interest and curiosity while his lips were pursed slightly as if words were at the tip of his tongue. His white hair was slicked back save for a few strands framing his face. Despite what his hair color suggested, he looked rather young, mid-twenties if Sakura had to guess. Her eyes soon met with the black haired beauties on either side of him and observed how they no longer looked ahead, their eyes were now on the floor while the rest of their bodies were hanging off his every limb. 

Everything about this table and occupants screamed luxury.

Sakura tried her best to ignore the way he boldly caressed their bodies, his eyes still trained on them while his hands were evidently busy. 

"Welcome! Have a seat." He tilted his head at the armchair to his left before glancing at Sakura. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her, feeling much too exposed without any weapons or chakra. 

"Mm. What a pretty little pink pet you have there." 

She bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood. 

Sasuke didn't even respond. He merely tugged her chain once more as he settled himself on the wine red armchair to the left of the loveseat, eyes carefully blank but Sakura knew better. Beneath his usual cold facade of indifference, he was listening raptly, taking note of their surroundings, anything that could give them a lead on whoever was actually running this entire city.

Steeling herself for yet another night of humiliation, Sakura knelt on the ground next to the dark haired man, hands folded neatly across her lap, head bowed down and mouth sealed shut. Her long pink hair cast a curtain that shielded her profile from the strange man's gaze, much to her relief. The coverage also gave her the opportunity to scan the incoming crowd longer. Even more men came in through the arched doorway, everyone of them bringing in at least one woman with drunken smiles on their faces. Hope still beat rapidly in her chest at the sight of so many people, even more than the auction house just last night. She made sure to check every person who entered the room from time to time. Ino could walk in at any moment. 

"What's your poison?" 

The mention of something toxic immediately brought her attention back to the table and the white haired Male now leaning on his knees with his elbows, his chin perched delicately on top of his entwined fingers. 

"I don't drink." Sasuke muttered. 

"Some food then?" 

"No."

"How about-"

"Not necessary."

Inwardly Sakura groaned. 

She knew how socially inept her teammate was but he could at least try to keep a conversation going! At this rate, they could kiss any clues to finding Ino or infiltrating the inner circle goodbye. 

Through the pink strands, Sakura peeked at the two males, hoping against all odds that Sasuke could at least pretend some semblance of an inviting personality. 

"Not one for small talk eh?" 

Their host didn't seem put off by Sasuke's apathetic personality in the least. Instead of backing away or giving up completely, the man simply arched one brow and gave a small smirk before speaking again. 

"I can tell you're a man who just goes after what he wants, regardless of the circumstances." 

Sasuke didn't respond verbally. The slight tilt of his head was the only reply their host received. 

When he's with Naruto, the insults and phrases just come out naturally like a damn waterfall! How is it that he's suddenly at a loss for words?! Sakura's eyebrow twitched in irritation, wishing she could smack some sense into her teammate with the damn throw pillow he was resting on.

"A trait I admire to be honest. But you have to indulge me a little, Uchiha."

A beat of silence passed before their host resumed their conversation, interest clear in his tone. 

"I recall hearing from my men that you were keen on joining our trade."

He leaned towards the table as he spoke, pouring himself a glass of wine. 

"How is it that you, a man of such high morale and power, are suddenly so interested in the deep bowels of the underworld?" 

"What morale?" Sasuke challenged, his eyes narrowing over so slightly. As if being called good was an insult. 

"Oh you know, the kind that lands you with the reputation of saving the shinobi world after the war and all that shite." He shrugged, taking a sip of the amber colored liquid. 

"You mistake my survival instinct for my so-called morale." 

"Pray tell then." 

"Years before the war I left my village in search for power. I only helped with the war efforts to ensure my missing-nin status be removed and I'd travel freely." 

Their host leaned forward, plucking a cherry from the ceramic bowl and popped it into his mouth, a contemplative look on his pale face. 

"Interesting. Why not go back to your village?"

"There is nothing for me there."

Her chest throbbed pathetically at his cold reply. 

"Ah yes. The infamous Uchiha massacre."

"Hn." 

"And you hope to find something for you here I presume?"

"Power is something I've always craved. I believe your business will help me achieve that." 

"A legendary reputation in the shinobi world isn't enough? You want what we have down here too?" 

"I've always been...ambitious." 

At this, the white haired man chuckled, the sound chilling. 

"Clearly." He gave Sasuke a pointed look.  
"Well, forgive my lack of manners, my curiosity was begging to be sated before anything else really."

He gave a quick smile, white teeth glinting underneath the reddish light above. 

"Call me Norio." 

"Hn." 

Another moment of silence passed but this time it wasn't as tense as before. Hopefully that meant Norio had actually bought Sasuke's fabricated story, bringing them a step closer to their end goal. Hope bloomed inside Sakura as she continued to listen in their conversation, her eyes still concentrated on the swirls and patterns on the carpet beneath her legs while her mind was already thinking of all the possibilities that this one meeting could bring. 

"Well, if you're looking to make a name for yourself down here, it won't be that difficult. You did after all, send all the men looking for you straight to the medical wing." 

Sasuke didn't even react. 

"They were weak."

"Mm, true." Norio nodded, one hand tracing the woman's thigh across his lap almost absentmindedly.  
"I suppose your ambition is what arranged this meeting in the first place?" 

Sasuke gave a curt nod in reply. 

"Well I must say, you have my attention. However, not my trust. Not yet at least."

Sakura inwardly sighed, expecting this to happen but hoping he was much more gullible. Sadly it seemed like beneath his amused and light mask was an intelligent and cunning personality. They weren't dealing with just any random thug. This man was a class above them altogether. 

"But enough talk about business. All work and no play is boring if you ask me."

A sudden chill raced down her spine. 

Sakura could feel his eyes on her again. 

"How did you come by your pet? I don't recall seeing her in the market recently. If I had, I believe she would be sitting with me instead." 

She immediately stiffened at his words. 

"Pets?" 

The women on either side of Norio glanced at him, their eyes glazed and unfocused. 

"Down." 

He released their chains completely while their bodies untangled from his instantly before positioning themselves on the floor away on either side of him, heads bowed low to the plush carpet beneath their feet. 

The sight of their easy compliance tugged at Sakura's heart. What kind of torture had these women gone through to become so submissive? So pliant? 

What if Ino?...

No. 

There was no way the bossy, beautiful blonde would turn into a waiting servant. 

In mind's eye, the smiling face of Ino shifted into a tortured expression of pain. 

Worry blossomed in her chest at the mental image of Ino in pain. 

Sakura's belief in her best friend was strong but after seeing all the horrors of this underground city, she couldn't avoid the small shred of doubt and sliver of fear that maybe her friend was just as much of a victim as these women. 

The medic was brought out of her reverie by a sharp snap. 

Green eyes watched as he gave the cherries a pointed look. The woman on the left immediately moved, her fingers shaky as she grabbed the bowl, depositing it in his waiting hands. Sakura could see a touch of fear in her previously glassy eyes and that brought on a flash of anger, hot and demanding, to course through her quickly. 

"Good. Now, Sasuke, I believe I'd like to play with your pet. She looks a bit lonely over there." 

Shit. 

She wasn't sure which upset her more. The fact she and the two women were being referred to like they were mere animals or the complete and utter lack of responsiveness on Sasuke's part. 

The white haired man plucked a red cherry, tilting his head back as his mouth closed over the red fruit, leaving the stem between his fingers. He looked completely at ease, waiting for Sasuke's reply as if he had all the time in the world, as if he knew Sasuke wouldn't deny him. 

Inner began growling lowly in her mind. 

He better say something or damn it all to hell-

"Go ahead." 

Well, fuck. Inner cursed. 

The pinkette clenched her fists for a fraction of a second, hating the part of herself that wished he actually did have something to say and he would stake his claim on her more than some measly collar ever would. But like all the times before, it seemed he really didn't care. Swallowing thickly, her legs unfolded under her as she walked the few feet towards Norio, head down and spine straight, unwilling to be completely cowed by this strange man. 

She stopped in front of him, unsure of what to do next but the choice was made for her when her chain was abruptly pulled, the harsh movement dragging her upper body incredibly close to his. Because the man was sitting down, leaning comfortably on the loveseat, Sakura had no choice but to use her hands to brace herself on the back of the chair, otherwise she'd be sprawled all over his lap. Her feet remained planted on the ground while her upper body hovered over his. Over all the position was much too scandalous for her tastes but clearly not enough for the man beneath her. He gave her a smirk as one hand, the one not holding her chain, curled around her waist, exerting pressure, fully intent to eradicate the small distance between their bodies. 

Their faces were mere inches apart at this point. They were so close she could see the cherry juice on his parted lips and feel his breath fanning across her cheeks. Alcohol and smoke filled her nostrils and she had to suppress the need to cough. 

His eyes were glinting at her, amusement clear in those blue depths. 

She wanted to punch that smug expression off his face but she couldn't, she wouldn't jeopardize the mission. It was bad enough that she couldn't be as submissive as the women on the floor right now. 

"Come now, pet." 

He pressed harder until her arms finally gave, bending at the elbow, eating the space between them. 

"Let's play," He purred. 

His other hand, her chain still wrapped tightly around his wrist, gripped the inside of her knee and jerked suddenly. The movement surprised her, causing that leg to fold, landing on the loveseat, her thigh now pressed onto the velvet right next to his. 

The longer she stayed close to this man, the angrier she got. If only she could use her knee to crush his manhood. Then he wouldn't be so damn smug. 

The only thing keeping her from completely straddling his lap was her other leg still planted firmly on the floor. His fingers splayed across the corset she wore, applying even more pressure until her back was slightly arched. 

She tried to calm her nerves and relax her muscles. But for some reason, the tension wouldn't leave, no matter how hard she tried. This position wasn't nearly as compromising as her earlier moments with Kakashi so why couldn't she just let go? 

"Your pet still hasn't been properly trained yet, Sasuke." 

Her muscles were tight against his hands. 

"It makes me want to teach her some manners." Norio hummed, eyes appraising her. 

The fingers under her knee gripped even tighter, dragging her limb forward until her hips were now flush against his, her other leg now matching the same position as the one within his grasp. 

Fire burned inside her. But this wasn't the same delicious heat that she felt consume her in the dressing room surrounded by her teacher's arms. No. This was an angry flame that begged to be unleashed. Although she kept her deadly intent out of her body's reaction, she couldn't hide her feelings within her eyes, wishing she could hurt him with her glare alone. 

Norio caught her gaze. 

And smiled. 

It was a cruel, bloodthirsty grin that chilled her to her very bones. 

Her collar dug deep into the skin of her neck as he pulled the chain taut. Pain lanced through her at the feel of metal scraping into her flesh. But she refused to give him the satisfaction of voicing her discomfort. 

She pressed her lips into a firm line. 

Metal pressed harder against her throat. 

She could feel her skin flare and bruise. 

Still, no sound left her lips. 

His smile widened. 

"I think I like you, pet." 

I think I'd like to kick you, jackass.

Keeping her locked in place with one hand clutching the metal chain tight, he removed his fierce hold on her knee and reached into the neglected bowl of cherries, his blue eyes never once leaving hers. 

"Here, have a treat." 

No way in hell! You can shove those cherries right up your ass, you sadistic piece of-

Her inner tirade was cut off by a small fruit being pushed against her tight lips. 

"Open wide, pet." 

This felt humiliating and wrong on so many levels. If only she could just poof into a cloud of smoke and disappear, away from this horrible situation and mission that left her feeling confused and torn in more ways than one. 

It was tempting to simply give in and wave the white flag. 

Maybe Kakashi was right. 

Maybe she wasn't ready for this type of assignment. 

Maybe she really was out of her depth and was a far cry from a sexually confident woman no matter how hard she tried or whatever she did. 

Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest at the heavy words Kakashi had said back in the tower. 

The fear and hurt was painful but exactly what she needed to wake up.

How could she just quit now? 

Every other slave in this entire godforsaken city was going through this kind of humiliation every single night to simply live another day. Giving up now would be an insult to her occupation, to Ino, to her shishou, to herself. 

Screw quitting. 

There was no way in hell that some arrogant bastard was going to be enough to make her give up. 

And so, using her urgent, heart wrenching desire to find Ino and free all the slaves, the pinkette forced her mouth to relax, eyes latched onto his. 

Slowly, Sakura parted her lips for the cherry. His fingers lingered on the corner of her mouth and she took advantage of his closeness, sneaking her tongue out to coax his finger in her moist cavern. Norio sensed her acceptance and was instantly smug. An expression that soon turned into shock when she quickly swallowed the red fruit and bit his fingers hard before he could pull back his hand completely. 

Sasuke would probably lecture her about this later but damn it all. She couldn't find it in herself to care just then. 

Norio examined his hand after her little bite. 

A small drop of blood beaded at where her teeth nipped him. 

Sakura noted that the two women were no longer bowing to the floor. Their eyes were wide, grey orbs unbelieving at the sudden act of defiance this newcomer had brazenly committed to their master. 

The look of surprise morphed into something darker, sinister. His mouth curled in a smirk. 

"Sasuke?" 

"Hn." 

"How much for this pink flower?" 

"She's not for sale." 

"Not even for two million?" 

A silence filled the air. 

He can't actually be considering it. She thought wildly. 

"No." 

Thank gods. Inner slouched in relief. 

"Hm. A shame. I have a feeling I'd enjoy her." 

"She's mine." 

Her heart skipped a beat at his quick reply. 

"Would you share then?" 

"I believe I already have." 

Norio pursed his lips slightly as if in deep thought. 

"Strange. Your pet reminds me of someone. Pink hair isn't common after all." 

"She's the Hokage's apprentice." 

Sakura almost choked at his easy admittance. Why the hell would he reveal her identity? Granted there was always a chance she could be recognized but if that was preventable then why tell people in the first place? Confusion and irritation bit at her. What the hell was Sasuke doing? 

"No wonder she seemed so familiar. Those bingo books do no justice to her beauty though." 

Norio trailed the length of his nose across her collar bones before nipping at the skin at her shoulder almost playfully. 

Fear and anger replaced her earlier feelings as he touched her and Sakura dug her nails into the furniture to keep from doing something she would get scolded for later on. 

"Interesting, how you claim to have no ties with your village yet you carry a kunoichi from there." 

"Collateral. In case Konoha would have me killed." 

Norio raised his eyebrows at this. 

"My, you are quite heartless aren't you?"  
Blue eyes glanced briefly to the side, addressing Sasuke.  
"Another trait I admire." 

A loud gong sounded in the background, gathering Norio's attention. 

"So Sasuke? Want to place any bets? I believe the next match is about to begin." 

"They're weak. Why even bother?" 

Harsh laughter met her ears. 

"True, compared to you I suppose. But this is all for entertainment and gambling anyways. Their strength does not actually matter." 

Suddenly those eyes were on her again, interest swirling in his blue gaze. 

"I have an even better idea." Norio's eyes darkened as he spoke.  
"Why don't we enter your little flower into the ring?" 

Double shit. 

"She is the famed apprentice of the fifth Hokage. Why not put her skills to the test?" 

This isn't good.

Her worry and nervousness started to escalate. Fighting in the slave ring? Against collared men who probably had no fighting experience? No way. No way in hell. She tried to calm down, taking deep breaths through the nose. Sasuke wouldn't make her fight. And even if he did, then the most she would do is knock out her opponent. 

"I can tell she has no access to her chakra. Clever device you have here, no wonder she couldn't escape. Definitely a dangerous gamble on her life but I say that's part of the fun."

Norio leveled Sasuke with a hard stare. 

"What do you say?" 

Sasuke didn't reply. 

"Or I could just have my fun playing with her." 

The entire time they've been conversing, Norio hasn't lessened the pressure on her chain and collar. Clearly he wasn't an ordinary man judging from his strength. 

His smile taunted her, as if he was enjoying every second of her pain. 

Just when Norio leaned in to nip at her skin again, Sasuke spoke.

"She'll fight." 

"Even without her chakra? What if your pet gets hurt?" He raised a brow in question, his tone surprised but Sakura knew it was all for show. The man wanted to see her bleed. 

"I'll buy a new one." 

The medic felt her heart fall at his blunt statement but stubbornly reminded herself that everything was an act, every word that left his lips wasn't the truth. 

"How cruel." He remarked.  
"I think the boss will like you, Sasuke." 

The force exerted on the metal around her neck disappeared and Sakura inhaled deeply at the sudden relief. Sadly it was short lived because Norio snapped his fingers and a butler appeared out of nowhere, kneeling at the top of the staircase, his palm placed on his right chest, waiting. 

"Take this flower and enter her into the ring. She'll fight the winner of this match." 

Before she could move away though, the man underneath her leaned forward and whispered into the shell of her ear. His voice deceptively soft while his words carried a heavy threat. 

"Try not to break too many bones, pet. Otherwise how could I break you?" 

Disgust erupted in her belly at the look in his eyes. 

Curiosity. 

Excitement.

Anticipation.

Sakura's stomach turned at what she saw.

Pure bloodlust. 

He liked the pain she was feeling, the discomfort evident in her face and body. He revelled in it all. 

It made her sick. 

This time she didn't need her chain to lead her anywhere. Any place, even a fighting area, was much more inviting than the psychotic man currently smirking at her. The pinkette stood up and turned, fully aware that she had to follow the butler if she wanted to keep up their act. 

"How about a little wager, Sasuke. If I win, I take your pet with me. You win, I'll work on bringing you into one of our weekly meetings since you're so interested in joining our ranks." 

"Hn. What's the bet?" 

Norio smirked, eagerness coming off him in almost tangible waves. 

"If she kills her opponent, you win. If she lets him live, I win. It's as simple as that." 

Oh dear gods no. 

Sakura looked to Sasuke, hoping, praying he'd disagree. Winning would mean killing a blameless man, a slave who was forced to fight to live another day. Her conscience couldn't take it. She didn't want innocent blood on her hands, blood that didn't deserve to be shed. 

What she saw reflected in his eyes made the dread she felt double in size. 

"Agreed." 

…

Sasuke was confused. 

The same strange emotion he felt when he had to watch his former teacher with Sakura perched so intimately on his lap, was back with full force. 

He clenched his jaw so hard he could hear his teeth grind. 

When he saw the sudden change of outfit earlier, he couldn't help his eyes from sweeping her form, slowly, carefully, memorizing each dip and curve and line like he would a new prized jutsu he had every intention to perfect. 

He felt heat and something else pull at him seeing her clothed in a deep, dark red and black. 

Distracting. He had thought once again. 

He was glad for some reason, when Kakashi had simply left. No comment, no exchanges or lingering looks from his end towards the pink haired medic. Sasuke didn't look too deep into why he was pleased to have her back in his company so soon. Instead he focused on his objective, which at the moment, was to gain the trust of one of the city's most popular and notorious members; Norio. The man wasn't even half as strong as Sasuke physically was but he was by no means weak. Besides having a considerable amount of chakra for a ninja with no bloodline technique, he had a large amount of power in the ranks, rumored to be one of the boss's inner circle. This had caught his attention immediately, encouraging him to take action and set up a meeting through one of the men tailing him. 

The meeting was going fairly well. 

That is, until Sakura got involved. 

Denying Norio's request wouldn't help their case of getting into his good graces so Sasuke merely shrugged, granting him permission to get close to her, completely ignoring the sudden tension in his shoulders and chest. 

Sadly, the V.I.P. area was quite small, which meant he could see everything the man was doing to his former teammate, even when he directed his attention to the fighting arena. Pink hair and wandering hands still bothered him in his peripheral vision.

He wasn't sure whether to be glad she was resisting the bastard or not. Admittedly, he felt some sick satisfaction knowing she didn't want to be anywhere near the man. But it seemed like their host fed off the discomfort Sakura felt. 

Cherries were suddenly his most hated fruit. 

He grit his teeth, willing away the foreign sensation in his body each time he noticed how much closer Sakura was to Norio. 

This was part of the mission. Granted, she was bearing the brunt of the burden, a fact he had to grudgingly admit was admirable of her, having to subject her body to such attentions while he was merely sitting to the side, reclined in an armchair as if he didn't give a damn. 

Which was the truth. 

He didn't give a damn. 

And he shouldn't give a damn.

But why did he feel uncomfortable and angry watching them? 

To make matters even worse, Sasuke could tell that Norio actually had some brains in his skull. The calculated gleam in his eyes, the subtle hints here and there when he spoke, everything gave him the impression that they were walking on thin ice, like they were the ones being lured into a trap, not the other way around. 

He couldn't let all this effort go to waste. 

Norio obviously recognized Sakura, calling her flower if not pet, which made pretending she was another random pink haired woman a pathetic move on his part. Best to act as if everything was part of some sick, twisted plan, something Sasuke had a feeling he could pull off with a cold tone and apathetic face. 

It seemed like Norio had finally relaxed which in turn made Sasuke breathe just a little bit easier until he put that damned bet on the table, a clear challenge underneath a light tone and amused smile. 

But Sasuke knew better. 

Norio already knew Sakura's background, he said as much when he mentioned the bingo books and that wasn't even counting any other possible sources of information he had hidden up his sleeves. So her occupation as a medical ninja might as well be tattooed on her forehead. It only made sense that he would take advantage of this knowledge and use it against them both. Sakura's mission in life was to save others. Being ordered to kill was a test for her. This wager would prove if she truly was under Sasuke's control or a spy which tied back to him. And there was always the possibility that Norio just wanted Sakura and was willing to play dirty to win. 

Obviously he couldn't allow for this to happen. 

Which was why he didn't blink or hesitate when he accepted Norio's gamble. 

He could feel the heat of Sakura's glare and responded quickly with one of his own, cold in contrast, reminding her of the mission and to do what was necessary to keep this charade going. 

If he was a lesser man (Naruto) he would be cowering in fear at the fire leaping from her green eyes. 

Fortunately, he was not a lesser man, in fact, he was an Uchiha which meant he was more than capable of matching her ferocity, the firm set of his mouth and narrowing eyes silently demanded she win. 

Their eye contact was soon severed by the butler yanking Sakura's chain sharply, resulting in her twisting around and following the staff lest she suffer from a sore neck. 

She was quickly led down the steps, past golden women still handing out alcohol until they reached the cage. From Sasuke's vantage point he could see two entrances, one on either side, sealed shut with a lock and electricity. 

Two other butlers, if you can even call them that, they might as well be ninja judging from their muscle mass, stepped in after pressing a few buttons onto a control panel and unlocked the doors simultaneously with different sets of silver keys. The two men entered the arena with blank faces the taller of the two dragged the bleeding mass of flesh out while the other produced a tin bucket he had been carrying behind his back, tipping its contents over the victor of the round with ice cold water. 

The man began coughing underneath the sudden icy sensation on his bruises and cuts but soon gathered his senses and cupped his battered hands pitifully, hoping to catch whatever water was left to drink. Either he was too late or there just wasn't enough liquid in the bucket because in the end he began licking whatever drops of water he had dripping down his arms. He swallowed it up all eagerly, even with the taste of his own blood mixed in. 

Sasuke has had his fair share of cruelty growing up, that was certain. But this type of brutality and desperation left a sour taste in his mouth. 

He looked to the corner of his eye to see Norio chuckling to himself, clearly enjoying the blatant display of hopelessness. 

"Oh Sasuke look, your little flower seems quite shaken."

"Hn."

His eyes watched almost impassively, observing Sakura and the inner turmoil clear in her wide green eyes. 

"No hard feelings when I win our little wager alright? Don't worry, I'll take very good care of her." 

Norio smirked at Sasuke before gesturing for the two women on the floor to rise and resume their earlier position on his body. The white haired Male was much too arrogant. A trait he had every intention of using to his advantage. 

…

The sudden quietness that followed her arrival was soon gone, replaced with deafening cries for blood, hers or the man on the other side of the cage, she didn't know. 

There had to be some way out of this. 

Escape was clearly not an option, that would mean leaving Ino behind.

Sakura knew what she had to do. 

She just couldn't find it in herself to do it. 

A quick glance behind her confirmed her fears. 

Sasuke. 

His eyes were cold, despite its red color. 

Her heart wrenched painfully, pitifully at her earlier thoughts that maybe he had changed and wasn't the same man as before. He had after all wanted to settle his sins. Yet doesn't this act contradict everything he now supposedly stood for? Or did this not count because she would be the one committing the sin this time? 

But then again, if she let her opponent live, she would be leaving this building with him. Either way, she would lose. 

If only he hadn't accepted that ridiculous bet. 

Confusion and frustration tore at her insides. 

Sakura looked ahead and saw how weak her opponent was, how frail and tired. 

Killing him would be easy. 

Even without chakra, winning wouldn't even be a challenge. 

Inner was uncharacteristically quiet, for once not adding to the turmoil she was currently feeling. 

"The next battle will be our champion, Hiro!" 

The crowd went wild at the sudden presence of an announcer, clad in a black tux with a gaudy gold bow tie, who circled the cage, addressing the roaring men with a gleeful grin. 

"And a newcomer," 

A pause sounded when the man realized he didn't know her name.

...He better not. Inner growled. 

"Pinky over here!" 

He did. Sakura grit her teeth at the complete and lack of utter originality these men had. 

"The fight will now begin! Now gentlemen, you may now place your bets! Let's start with fifty thousand ryo!" 

A gong sounded somewhere, signaling to everyone in the room that the match had commenced. Unfortunately, Sakura still hadn't made up her mind. But her opponent clearly had no second thoughts about having to battle her. Hiro, albeit bloody and weakened, raced towards her at full force, murderous intent in his gaze as he brought back one fist to deliver a blow to her left cheek. 

Steel bars behind her back and nowhere else to go, Sakura flew towards him, an action that her opponent wasn't expecting at all. His eyes widened as she bent her legs, sliding under his reach easily, her head tipped backwards, her chin an inch away from his fingers. 

She used her hands and feet to halt her movements, spinning around effortlessly, pink hair flying wildly as she stared down Hiro, who grunted in anger at the sight of her easily avoiding his punch. It seemed though he didn't have much other move in his arsenal because he was charging at her again, his arm thrown back in another attempt at knocking her teeth out. 

Claiming that her next move was purely for self-defense, Sakura used Hiro's momentum against him by grabbing his incoming fist with both of her hands, changing its course from her face to the ground while her leg tangled with one of his, pulling it upwards sharply with flexibility and muscles only years of intensive training could achieve. 

This caused him to land hard on his face, a sickening crunch following his fall. 

Hiro's cry of pain stabbed her eardrums. 

His angry features were covered in red. Blood spewing from both his nostrils. She could spot a horrible bruise forming around his nose and a bit of bone peeking from under shredded skin. 

But he wasn't their champion for nothing. Despite the obvious pain he was feeling, Hiro stood up shakily and looked about ready to go again. She was actually impressed. But her train of thought was suddenly derailed by the glint of gold that flashed when he wiped his blood from chapped lips. 

Her stomach fell at the sight. 

It was a ring. 

A wedding ring. 

He was married. 

He was a slave, fighting for his life and he had a wife somewhere out there, waiting for him. 

What if he had a family too? 

If she killed him, she'd be taking their father away, forever. 

Bile erupted at the back of her throat at the thought. 

A harsh blow to her left cheek brought her back to reality, taking her by surprise, resulting in her form staggering a few steps back. Disorientated from both the revelation and punch to her face, Sakura breathed hard, tasting the sharp metallic tang of blood fill her mouth. 

It hurt. 

But not as much as the realization that she was helpless right now.

Her head bowed down as her knees gave out under her. 

She stared at the bloody smears on the floor. 

The crowd hadn't stopped shouting.

They were enjoying this, her pain, her blood. 

How many more would have to go through this hell? 

Her hands fell limply at her sides. 

Just as Hiro gave a triumphant smile, a number of thoughts raced through her mind. 

She didn't want to do this. 

A part of her would die with the man if she did. 

But she couldn't lose her best friend. 

She couldn't bear the thought of the remaining slaves suffering even longer if she didn't do her job. 

Sakura steeled her already torn heart, praying to the gods for forgiveness and that she would make sure this man's death would not be in vain. 

The large man came close, biding his time, drawing out more jeers from the crowd. It seemed he wasn't in a rush like before, walking towards her slowly instead of coming at full charge. Green eyes watched his bare feet come within range. Right before Hiro could lay a hand on her kneeling form, Sakura moved, maneuvering her body into a clean backflip and using one leg to snap his chin upwards with enough force to have his head spinning for a few seconds. Once she was back on her legs, the pinkette delivered yet another kick, this time to his torso, pushing him onto his hands and knees. Hiro groaned at the pain. And for once, Sakura was grateful for her current shoes. The thin heels, when used in just the right angle with the right amount of pressure, could be a weapon. She spotted a long scratch lining Hiro's side, blood dripping from the shallow wound. Who knew a fashion accessory could be so useful in battle?

Filing away that piece of information, Sakura leaped forward while her opponent was busy clutching his side in pain and brought up her leg into a high kick, snapping that same leg downwards into Hiro's spine. His scream overpowered the surrounding men's howls and curses. Swallowing the nausea she felt, Sakura used the chain hanging from her collar to her advantage and held it tight with both hands, wrapping the metal links around Hiro's thick neck once, twice, before pulling back with enough force to have her muscles straining, one foot pressed against his back, keeping him lying flat on the ground, limbs splayed, hands grasping desperately at the chain choking the life out of him. 

Disgust at herself filled her completely. It was almost overwhelming and Sakura had to shake her head free to focus on the task at hand. 

She felt eyes on her. 

Everyone's. 

But only one pair felt the heaviest, the most intense. 

As she tightened her grip on the chain and pulled harder, she looked up and saw Sasuke. 

Black and red swirled. 

His mouth set in a grim line. 

Suddenly the choking sounds stopped and Sakura looked down in horror. 

Hiro body slumped to the ground. No longer frantic or clawing the metal around his throat for air. 

The gold band around his finger glittered underneath the spotlight overhead, taunting her. 

She was going to be sick. 

But before she could empty her stomach's contents all over the arena floor, the announcer popped back into existence, his voice once again filling the air. 

"And we have a new champion!" 

She didn't even feel a hand grip her wrist, pulling her fist into the air while the men around her were either screaming in joy for their win or cussing up a storm for having lost. 

She was so numb that she didn't care that the crowd was chanting "Pinky! Pinky! Pinky!" over and over again. 

Unwillingly her eyes sought the now lifeless ones of Hiro and the nausea crawled back up her throat. Her chain was still tied around his throat, connecting them, making her feel equal parts sick and cold. 

As the howls surrounding her blended into a high pitched ringing sound, Sakura closed her eyes, wondering if his death would keep her awake at night. When she opened them again a second later, her sadness, distress and confusion were soon pushed away. In its place was a burning anger that felt familiar and the heaviness in her chest lifted ever so slightly. The pain and guilt was still there, but this rage was better. Anger was easier to feel, to hold onto, to act out on. 

And right now, she had an Uchiha to deal with. 

…

The walk back to the hotel room was long and filled with an extremely heavy and tense silence. More than once Sakura had to calm herself down, slowing her brisk pace otherwise she would be the one dragging Sasuke behind her. 

Her heels clicked rapidly, loudly on the hardwood floors as they made their way through hallways and finally to their shared room. 

Sasuke didn't even make it two steps inside before Sakura let loose an angry growl, using both her hands to fist in his black cloak, pulling hard and spinning around until he was pressed against the door. 

It was immensely satisfying, hearing the wood creak in protest and finally being able to release the whirlwind of emotions she had been keeping in check the day. 

"What the hell Sasuke?!" She ground out, her forearm digging into his windpipe just enough to hurt but not enough to cut off his breathing.

He didn't reply. 

"Talk dammit! I thought we were doing this mission together? You asked me for my help and me being here means I'm trusting you. You can try to do the same. And if we're going to be partners in this then the least you can do is speak." 

"And say what? I'd be wasting my breath." 

Her anger flared hotly at his cold response. 

"You can start by explaining why you had me kill an innocent man tonight." 

"I think the answer is obvious." He muttered. 

She knew what he was going to say. Even how he was going to say it. Cold and detached as usual. But still, it hurt having to hear it. Not a shred of remorse, of sadness. 

"You're heartless." Sakura ground out, her fists tightening. 

"I'm thinking about the mission."

"I understand that but-" 

Her rant was interrupted by his smooth voice. 

"But what? This is what it means to be a ninja Sakura. I would have thought that you were used to making sacrifices at this point." 

"I am...just not at the expense of others." 

"Then you're weak." 

That word again. Sakura willed the heat behind her eyes to go away. 

"Don't Sasuke-"

"If we fail this mission, then countless more men like those in the ring earlier will suffer the same fate." 

"You don't think I know that?!" She yelled, her voice cracking at the end. 

A heavy silence passed between them. At this point the medic finally noticed how close their faces were. Somewhere along the way, during their argument, Sakura had inched nearer. She would blush if she wasn't so angry. 

"Are you done?" 

Almost. 

"Why did you tell Norio who I was? This mission is supposed to be as covert as possible and exposing my identity doesn't exactly help." 

"He already knew who you were the second he laid eyes on you." 

Sakura faltered a bit. 

"You don't know that." 

"I do. The little hints here and there, calling you flower. Seems he isn't as stupid as I'd like him to be."

The simmering anger she felt began to drift away. Sasuke's words, although hurtful, were all true. No point in arguing over the past. 

Just when Sakura was about to pull away, emotionally drained, Sasuke took hold of her arm with his hand, switching their positions easily however he didn't keep an arm against her throat. Instead he kept her trapped, his one hand pushing against the door as he leaned impossibly close. 

When he spoke, his voice was dark and soft, practically a whisper compared to her earlier shouting. 

"You talk about being partners, trusting each other. Yet it seems a little hypocritical coming from you when clearly you don't trust me at all." 

Her heart thundered at their close proximity and his words. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"The fight earlier. Didn't you notice anything?" 

"Besides the innocent blood on my hands?" 

"Tch. Sakura…" He warned. 

"No. There wasn't anything...to…"

Sakura's words trailed off as she went through her memories. 

Green eyes suddenly widened. 

Red and black. 

Sasuke's sharingan was activated earlier during the match.

No. He couldn't possibly have…

The man before her must have seen the question in her gaze because he responded, his face carefully blank, his walls held high and out of reach. 

"I cast a genjutsu halfway into your fight. Norio didn't notice, neither did you." 

A few moments of quiet passed as she fully internalized his words. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" She murmured, her voice now small unlike before. 

"There wasn't time to speak. Besides, that bastard was already suspicious of me. Taking you aside, even for a second, would brand me as a spy." 

Sakura nodded slowly but had to ask Sasuke, 

"So Hiro, he's actually?..." 

"Alive." 

Sweet relief flooded her system at that one word. She leaned her head on the door as Sasuke continued to explain. 

"I made it look like he had died already when he was still trying to break free from your chains. Once you thought he died, he managed to get some air. I made a clone, got him out after you left the arena and hid him in one of the alleyways with a bit of money." 

"You didn't have to put me in a genjutsu though. Just Norio and the men." 

"I wanted to use as little chakra and jutsu as possible. Norio isn't the strongest but he's perceptive." 

Sasuke paused before continuing, a faraway look in his eyes. 

"And I needed your reaction to be real, to convince him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to the weekly meeting."

This was too much to process. She could feel a headache coming on but the relief that followed Sasuke's statement soothed her earlier worries. Sadly that didn't last long. Soon enough, guilt replaced everything. 

He was right. She was a hypocrite. Here she was, acting all high and mighty, demanding he trust her more when she didn't do the same. Remorse and embarrassment filled her suddenly. 

When she didn't respond or move anymore, the Uchicha took a step back, seemingly finished with their conversation. But before he could get far, Sakura swallowed her fear and called out. 

"Sasuke." 

He froze. 

"I take it back."

He didn't turn around. 

"You aren't heartless." 

He didn't reply. 

But Sakura saw the tension in his shoulders disappear and his balled fist relax. 

"You can take the bathroom first. I'll set up some traps."

She nodded, eager to scrub the dried blood underneath her fingernails off. The door clicked shut behind her and only when he heard the lock slide firmly into place did Sasuke move, sitting down on the bed and pinching the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb, a frown on his usually blank face.

He had smiled.

Like some loud mouthed idiot he knew.

A small smile appeared on his lips when Sakura had said he wasn't heartless. 

Why did hearing her say that make him happy?

Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh. 

Just what the hell was happening to him?

…

AN : Well damn...I swear I tell myself I'll stop at 6k words then *shrugs* 

Sadly no steamy Kakashi or Sasuke scenes here but this chapter is important. Besides, our dear little Uchiha is still in the process of realizing his -ahem- feelings, lol. 

Thank you again for the reviews, follows and favorites! I'm still in shock with how many people actually responded and viewed this story. Each review I get seriously inspires me to write even more. 

Anyways, I'm on term break right now so I'm already working on the next chapter hehe. This one took so long because online classes were kicking my ass. Anyways, rant over, cookies to anyone who stuck out and read this long AN!

Leave a review and tell me what you all think! 

Btw, if you didn't know yet already,

Reviews = inspiration = faster updates

*showers readers with love and chocolate chip cookies* 

-MKSS


	5. C h a l l e n g e s

Disclaimer : Nope, still don't own. 

Warning : Sexy times ahead. Some dirty dancing and a jealous Sasuke too. 

C h a i n e d 

t o 

Y o u 

{ 5 } 

…

That night in the hotel had been immensely awkward. 

Sakura had come out of the shower, scrubbed raw and clean, to see two bags of take out food on the table and Sasuke sitting on the bed facing the wall, his mouth set in a firm line, deep in thought. 

Warmth spread in her chest at the thoughtful gesture of preparing their meals without her having to remind him however the sensation didn't last, rather it was chased away by the cold reality of their situation and her actions just half an hour earlier. Guilt soon replaced whatever happiness she felt at the sight of the tempura and rice. Now she just felt horrible.

It took a good two minutes of debating whether or not to approach him. Just when she had finally mustered up the courage to sit beside him, paper cups of steaming rice in her hands, the brooding man stood up suddenly and disappeared behind the bathroom door. She tried to ease the slight pang of guilt in her chest at the sight of his stony face and the way he easily avoided her. 

Sakura inwardly stomped on the light ache at his clear dismissal and turned on her heel, readying herself for a quiet dinner alone. Well what did she expect? For him to take the chopsticks, smile and engage in actual conversation? Maybe even talk about how they've both been since his absence from the village? Of course not. The day that happened would be the day her shishou decided to sober up, flinging all her sake bottles from the top of the Hokage mountain devoting the rest of her life to sobriety or for Lee to turn in his vivid green spandex suit for a full grey uniform. 

She smoothed down the wrinkles that formed on the shirt she was wearing. She would never admit it out loud but Sasuke's shirt was extremely comfortable. The fabric was soft and the length was perfect since it hid much more of her body than those ridiculously lacy pieces of fabric. It was a relief, wearing this after a long day of strutting around in some sexy gothic style of dress. Tonight she found a simple pair of panties, midnight blue with a black lace trim and a tiny ribbon in the front and back, to go under her new pajamas. 

The pinkette sighed before chewing thoughtfully on the fried shrimp, feeling immensely tired from the day. Not necessarily in the physical sense, although those damned heels were definitely going to make her toes and ankles hurt tomorrow morning. The fight with Hiro wasn't draining either, despite her lack of chakra to fall back on. What really sapped Sakura of her energy was, funnily enough, her teammates. 

Kakashi with his heated eyes, husky voice and tall frame that towered over her, trapping her within his arms, triggering such naughty thoughts and delicious feelings to race across her mind and course through her skin.  
It was wrong. The insane, electrifying way he made her feel with a few fleeting touches with his warm hands and sure fingers, tracing circles at her nape, stroking lightly, up and down her arms and resting so comfortably, so possessively around her waist. As if his hands belonged there, as if he wanted her back. 

But Sakura shook these impure, pathetically hopeful and inappropriate thoughts from her head, swallowing a chunk of rice before downing a glass of ice cold water. 

No. There was absolutely no way that Kakashi was attracted to her. The fact he had so clearly turned away from her when she had instigated contact that went beyond what was deemed appropriate or necessary was evidence enough that whatever was going on between them was completely one sided. It was embarrassing, being brushed aside like that, his whole face shut down while his body language told her without words how badly he needed to get away from her. His obvious rejection was a hot slice to her confidence and an even bigger blow to her hopes that they would come out of this mission alive and relatively alright, especially their relationship as teacher and student. 

But obviously he simply didn't see her beyond that. 

And that was okay. 

Completely and totally fine. 

Besides, this was just an act. Everything that happened in this red city with its warm lanterns and cold streets wasn't real. Everything she felt while wearing this strap of metal and scraps of lace meant nothing. 

Sakura let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her temples with her fingers in an attempt to stave off an incoming headache. 

Gods, why did it feel like she was lying to herself? 

The sound of running water from the shower redirected her thoughts from the silver haired copy ninn to a darker man, one who she honestly had no idea how to speak to at the moment. But despite the tension heavy in the atmosphere, she couldn't help but want to talk to him. Apologizing was the first hurdle. The next was showing him that she was going to trust him which would hopefully encourage him to do the same with her. Yet Sakura couldn't help but be in awe of how different the youngest Uchiha was now. Granted, there were still some hints of the Sasuke she had known from their genin days but he was definitely a far cry from the bloodthirsty criminal he had once become all those years ago. 

Sasuke was a complete contradiction. His words say one thing while his actions scream another. It was disconcerting, how unfeeling and cold, ruthless and dark he could be one moment and suddenly shocking her to her very core by being compassionate and merciful the next. The trick he pulled with Hiro was undoubtedly clever and she should've been able to catch his movements or at least made sense of his plan the second she noticed his red and black gaze earlier in the steel cage but she was too caught up in her emotions. 

As usual. 

Tsunade-shishou had told her once that her intense feelings could be an incredible asset, powering her mental and physical state in times of danger and struggle, or prove to be a horrible weakness, giving the enemy some leverage to use against her or be a terrible distraction from whatever task she was given. 

And this was one task she simply couldn't afford to lose focus on. 

Ino's life, and quite possibly all the other slaves in this entire hellhole, depended on her being on top of and have complete control of her volatile emotions. A daunting task indeed but Sakura was always up for a challenge. 

Squaring her shoulders and putting away her empty food cups and used chopsticks, the pinkette made her way to the bed, fully intent to snuggle into the nest of soft pillows and blankets until Sasuke was done so she could brush her teeth. Sleep would have to wait considering Pakkun hadn't appeared to-

A sudden and rather cheerful 'pop' interrupted Sakura's train of thought and she followed the wisps of grey smoke until she was facing a familiar, furry face. 

Perfect timing.

"Hey there Sakura-chan," Pakkun tilted his head to the side, his ears and tongue following the movement. "How've ya been?" 

"Pakkun!" A smile stretched on her lips. 

The canine was a familiar sight that brought on a sense of comfort that was a welcome feeling to Sakura in the midst of the turbulent emotions and pressure filled situations. It was almost a reflexive action on her part to come close, kneeling down and rubbing Pakkun's wrinkled forehead, drawing out a pleased whine and for his leg to thud rapidly on the hardwood floor.

"It's been ages, how're you?" She couldn't help but coo as if she were talking to a baby instead of a wise old pug. 

"Keep doin' that and I'll be pretty damn great, Sakura-chan." 

She chuckled. 

"Wait hang on, I'm here on official business from Kakashi," 

After a few more moments of being rubbed behind the ears, the pug wasted no time in getting comfortable, hopping onto the pillow that was strangely enough, propped up against the wall instead of the bed frame, his paws digging into the cloth as he circled several times then plopping down in a furry heap. 

"Besides, pretty sure I asked you how you were holding up with everything here, not the other way around." 

Despite the cute visage, Pakkun had an air of maturity and knowledge about him that reminded the pinkette exactly who she was talking to. Worry and curiosity glinted in his dark eyes, simultaneously making her feel glad someone cared enough to ask but also paranoid, wondering if she was so clearly lost in her situation, both the mission and her teammates, that it showed on her face. 

Choosing to deflect, something she was doing much too often to be considered healthy, Sakura coughed, clearing her throat before speaking, settling herself on the mattress, fixing the folds on the loose blue shirt she had dubbed as her new pajamas. 

"Oh, quite well, considering I've been forced to walk around with a collar and leash like I'm some sort of-" 

Sakura trailed off awkwardly, her mind suddenly catching up with her words. 

"Animal?" Pakkun's tone was dry as he stared her down. 

She swallowed nervously. 

"Y-yeah. Sorry."

The heavy atmosphere instantly vanished when the pug shrugged his shoulders, burrowing deeper into the pillow in the process. 

"Meh. Don't be. I'm lucky enough to be a ninken. Got this vest and forehead protector to show the world who I am and where my allegiance lies." 

The medic inwardly sighed with relief. She had already crossed both the copy nin and an Uchiha in the span of a day. The last thing she needed was to add a disgruntled and offended ninken to that list. 

"Besides, It's almost the same thing when ya think about it. Only one difference," He paused to scratch behind his ear thoughtfully. "We choose who we follow, not the other way around."

Sakura felt like this conversation was going to last for a while so she decided to get comfortable on the floor facing her guest, her legs folding beneath her form while she leaned back, using the bed behind her for support. Pakkun was patient, regarding her with knowing eyes. 

"So really, how are ya?" 

"I-" 

There was a deadpan expression on the pug's face, daring her to lie or redirect the question once more. 

Sakura, feeling quite tired and not at all in the mood for another verbal spar after the day she had, relented, voicing out her true feelings and thoughts. After all, it wasn't as if the pug was some sort of gossip nor the type to judge. And so, after releasing a heavy sigh, she spoke, eyes looking up to the ceiling, suddenly lost, immersed in the sea of feelings and thoughts. 

"I'm not doing so great to be honest." 

"Tch, thought so."

Irritation bit at her. 

"Well if you knew, why'd you bother asking?"

Pakkun didn't seem bothered at all with her scowl. 

"It's always better for people to admit how they really feel." 

Well, he had a point. 

"So what's got you feelin' so down?" 

And just like that, the flood of thoughts and emotions that she had so desperately kept inside broke free, tumbling from her lips in broken but rapid torrent of words.

"This whole mission. Kakashi told me earlier that Ino is basically untraceable. I couldn't find her at the slave rings either and the fear that somewhere out there in this hellhole, some bastard is abusing her, hurting her is driving me insane! I've seen what these chains and men can do to a woman with my own eyes and imaging Ino-pig being subjected to that kind of torture is just…" 

She fisted her fingers against her knees, ignoring the telltale heat behind her eyes and the salty tang in the air. 

"Even without my chakra, I'd search for her, go through each building if I had to." 

Pakkun nodded then commented. 

"That's more of Naruto's style though." 

Actually...it was. 

"True. But I think I understand him a bit better now though," A mirthless laugh left her lips.   
"I feel so helpless and desperate to find her, free everyone else enslaved here but I can't, not right now, not without endangering myself or my team and I think that's also what's adding to the stress." 

"Your team?" 

Uh-oh. Maybe she had said too much? 

Kakashi was someone her thoughts were orbiting much too frequently. Yet mentioning that little tidbit to his dogs might not have been the smartest decision.

Once again focusing her gaze on the ceiling, she tried for an apathetic tone, even inserting a little shrug of her shoulders as if it was a small thing.

"Yeah." 

Pakkun's wet nose was in the air, sniffing purposefully before making eye contact with Sakura again. 

"To be honest, I thought Kakashi was joking when he said Sasuke was involved here." 

The sudden mention of the broody man brought on another wave of guilt and confusion to wash over her. 

"It was a surprise for me too, trust me." Her brows furrowed. 

"Strange."

"What is?"

"You said your team was adding to your stress,you also mean the Uchiha?"

"Well...yes."

"Definitely strange then."

"You're not making any sense."

"No, you're not."

She was sure there was a big question mark on her face at this point.

"At least, the Sakura-chan I knew before wouldn't categorize her crush as some form of stress." 

A hot blush streaked across her cheeks. 

"H-he's not my crush."

"First love then?" 

All the times she had opened her arms for Sasuke flashed behind her eyes. Every moment she felt giddy when he just looked at her and the pure joy that rushed through her veins when he would speak to her were memories that she kept close to her heart. But now, after watching him choose a path so far from her own, all those memories would remain as they are, in the past, fun to look back on but not to live in. 

She was finally, finally in the process of moving on. 

Sadly all these recent encounters with Sasuke were making it very difficult to do so. 

"...it's complicated." 

"Not really. Either you love the guy or you don't." 

She couldn't answer right then. 

"Why are you suddenly so interested in my love life, Pakkun?" Her tone bordered on defensive, which in hindsight, she was. 

"Boredom." 

His reply was simple and maybe to any other person, they wouldn't have marked it as suspicious. But everything about his knowing look led Sakura to believe his reply was utter bullshit. 

And because she was still in the processing of figuring out the mess in her head and her heart, Sakura changed the topic. 

"Right. Anyways, you said you were here on business from Kakashi. Did he tell you where we're supposed to meet tonight? Will he come here?" 

Pathetically, she felt blood rise to her cheeks at the mere mention of her sensei.

She hoped that her nervousness and excitement at the prospect of seeing her teacher went unnoticed. They had ended things on an awkward note and she wanted to clear the air between them, apologize for overstepping her boundaries. Sadly, this was not the case, not when there was a knowing pug who for some reason derived some sort of amusement from her reactions and situation. 

"Kakashi is also part of your team," He muttered slowly, as if testing the waters.   
"So he's stressing you out too?" 

If possible, the flush on her cheeks flared even hotter. 

There was no way in hell she was ever going to admit out loud, especially when she hadn't fully accepted the fact mentally, that she was turned on, quite recently, by her icha-icha loving teacher. 

"W-what?! Of course not."

"But you just said-" 

"Oh I meant he was just being a pain in the ass." She interrupted, inserting a little laughter at the end of her sentence. Hopefully it didn't sound too fake. 

"In what way?"

"The usual."

"Which is?"

His hands touching her softly, sinfully.

Eyes burning her from the inside out. 

Voice so damn husky and deep. 

Sakura bit her lip hard before responding. 

"Being late and reading those damned books of his." 

"Uh-huh..." Pakkun hummed. 

"Anyways, back to the mission…" 

Sakura coughed into her hand.

Pakkun looked like he was going to say more but shut his mouth. Quiet for a brief moment before returning to the topic of mission details. 

"He told me to tell ya that he's busy tonight and to reschedule your meeting for tomorrow night instead. Nine, I think." 

"Oh. Alright," She felt herself deflate suddenly. "Did he give any details as to where exactly?" 

"Nope. He just said to be outside by nine pm onwards. He'll probably just find you." 

"Okay, sounds good." 

"Yup." Pakkun sighed, his paws rubbing the pillow's fabric back and forth a few times almost absentmindedly. 

Curiosity pushed her to question the pug further. 

"Did he find some lead on Ino or something?" 

"More like a woman."

Immediately, familiar sharp pangs of jealousy, green and vicious, ran through her body. A woman? After he had touched her so intimately? 

But just as quickly as it came, it was gone, confusion and denial taking its place. 

Why should she feel jealous?! It's not like they were in a relationship or anything. This was an act. A play of pretend. Kakashi was his own man and had every right to do as he pleased. Yet despite her inner turmoil and the voice inside her telling her not to care or bother asking for more details, Sakura found herself doing so anyway. 

"What woman?" 

"You know, tall, kinda tan, sexy-"

"Okay, okay. I think I get the picture." Sakura muttered, biting her lip, immediately regretting asking about this mystery woman in the first place. 

"Yeah. He summoned me in the alleyway, nasty place really, they should clean those-" 

"Pakkun..." She sighed in exasperation. 

"Oh yeah, so right when I was gonna go find ya, I saw some lady with Kakashi leaving the bar together." 

Again that ugly feeling surged up inside her. 

She was so lost in her reverie that she didn't notice the canine staring intently at her. 

"What?" 

Pakkun narrowed his eyes before shrugging again. 

"Hm? Oh nothing," He murmured.  
"Just thinking." 

A long stretch of silence passed between them. It wasn't awkward at first since she was busy with her own thoughts but eventually it became too heavy and weird when Pakkun was back to staring at her again. It unnerved her. His eyes which were deceptively cute suddenly shifted into something else. As if he wasn't a ninken but actually a sage old soul, knowing eyes latching onto her face and looking deeply. An irrational fear broke out at his intense gaze. What if he knew what happened between her and Kakashi earlier? 

But that's just not possible. 

Unless Kakashi mentioned it? 

The mental image of her sensei surrounded by his dogs, whispering his escapades into their floppy ears didn't seem entirely plausible though. 

"Did you wanna stay here for the night?" 

Her offer was heartfelt but if anything, she also wanted to break the uncomfortable quiet that had settled between them. 

Like some switch flipped, Pakkun returned to his half-lidded, deadpan look, bored and unaffected as usual. 

"Mm...tempting but I gotta head out, see you soon Sakura-chan," He got up, stretched, his tail wagging a few times as he did so.   
"Stay safe." 

"Of course. Thank you Pakkun. For sending the message and asking if I was okay." 

"Pffft. Don't get all sappy on me now." He rolled his eyes at her. The gesture was teasing and not at all meant to insult, relaxing some of the tension she felt from earlier. 

"Wouldn't dream of it." She smiled. 

And with another cheerful yet small explosion of smoke, the pug was gone, leaving Sakura feeling even more confused than before.

…

Sasuke knew that eavesdropping, morally at least, was wrong. 

However, he justified that since Sakura had yet to divulge certain mission details to him, he ignored the small part of him that felt she deserved her privacy. Which was why the youngest Uchiha was leaning against the door frame, one hand on his hip and mind curious.

It wasn't surprising that Kakashi had sent his ninken to send a message. Seemed like something the lazy man would do. Yet what was quite shocking was how the conversation developed between said ninken and his teammate. 

Their words, although muffled thanks to the door, reached his ears, further intriguing him and causing a variety of thoughts to race across his mind. 

First came the greetings followed closely with some pushing from the dog until Sakura caved in, speaking fast and her voice began steadily growing in volume. Even without seeing her face, he knew she was upset, close to tears even. 

He was very well acquainted with this version of Sakura. The emotional, weeping one where she was vulnerable and weak. 

Then came the determination, the anger and need to bring justice, to help those in need. Her voice was still thick with unwashed tears. Pathetic, he thought. What would crying accomplish? Yet this Sakura, the one who continued to surprise him, the one he saw only a handful of times, was not someone he was familiar with. But his thoughts reached an abrupt halt when he heard Pakkun's reply. 

"To be honest, I thought Kakashi was joking when he said Sasuke was involved here." 

"It was a surprise for me too, trust me." 

He rolled his eyes at her response. 

His attempt to save her the other night wasn't appreciated then. 

"Strange."

"What is?"

Sasuke worked his eyebrow, also curious as to why the pug commented such a thing. Fine, it did seem rather coincidental that they had all met in the same city at the same time but stranger things have happened. 

He leaned closer to the door. 

"You said your team was adding to your stress, you also mean the Uchiha?" 

Ah, the dog meant he was strange did he? 

"Well...yes."

"Definitely strange then."

His family did have an affiliation with cats yet he failed to understand why else he would be considered such by Pakkun. 

"You're not making any sense."

Tch, no kidding. 

"No, you're not."

He was this close to just walking in and sending their ridiculous conversation. 

"At least, the Sakura-chan I knew before wouldn't categorize her crush as some form of stress." 

His hand on the doorknob froze. 

So that's what this was about. He never did peg the pug to be as much of a gossip. Rolling his eyes again, Sasuke relaxed his grip and resumed his earlier position. He would never disclose this information to anyone, but he did in fact, agree with Pakkun. It was definitely odd, the way one of his fangirls can brush him off so easily, especially when she had declared her undying love for him on several occasions. 

"H-he's not my crush."

The sky was blue. The world was round. The ocean tasted of salt. Sakura Haruno being devoted to him. These were universal unchanging truths. The kind he grew up with and didn't bother to wonder if they would ever change. The last one though, he saw as an inconvenience, an unnecessary variable in his life. More than once during his childhood he had hoped she would outgrow such frivolities, lest he would have even more fangirls to deal with. So having her admit out loud that he was no longer the object of her affection after years of ingraining his lack of feelings towards her into her soft heart, quite literally on one occasion, should have given him relief. 

He should be happy hearing this. 

"First love then?" 

"...it's complicated." 

Why wasn't he happy hearing this? 

"Not really. Either you love the guy or you don't." 

When Sakura didn't answer, he furrowed his brows, confused. Was this really Sakura? One of the girls who had trailed after him helplessly, pathetically, during their childhood? 

"Why are you suddenly so interested in my love life, Pakkun?" 

Why was he? 

Jerking back as if he had been burned by fire, he ran his hand through black spiky strands, looking to the mirror hanging on the wall and inwardly growled at the confusion staring back at him. 

This was ridiculous. 

At this point, Sasuke had had about enough. He didn't understand why, but he didn't want to listen anymore. 

Thankfully the ninken disappeared moments later. Now would be the opportune time to leave the bathroom innocently, as if he hadn't been listening in on their private and somewhat emotionally charged conversation. However, despite her earlier apologies after the round of insults, Sasuke had no intention of striking up a conversation with Sakura, not when his thoughts regarding her were oddly enough, muddled and cloudy. He hadn't felt this confused or had this much mixed feelings since the shinobi war. A fact that was extremely disconcerting. 

Feelings were one thing. But feelings that were suddenly affected by his annoying teammate? That was a different matter entirely. One that he had absolutely no desire to dissect or understand, especially when there were much more pressing matters to attend to. 

Norio had bought their little act earlier and before he had left the psychotic man to his devices, he was given an invitation, a slip of paper with an address, date and time. The weekly meeting was to be held in the second inner circle of the city. 

Before finding Sakura in the auction, he had scouted the entire area, noting the city had layers. In total there were three rings, a feat that impressed even him considering this entire area was built underground, something that didn't seem possible however after living through a war and fighting countless battles, the word 'impossible' began to lose its meaning. 

He'd have to go through the layout with Sakura later tonight.

He pushed open the door, fully intent to go over tomorrow's plan, his mask of indifference firmly in place. He'd be damned if he ever let anyone see how he felt. Vulnerability did not suit him. Not at all. 

Just as he exited the bathroom, his thoughts made an abrupt halt at the sight waiting for him on the bed, wrapped once more in the thick blanket with only her head of pink hair visible on the pillow. 

So much for planning. 

A fair amount of irritation swirled inside him but not nearly as much as he had anticipated. Instead he felt some sort of calm, watching Sakura breathe evenly, deeply inside her cocoon of covers. Again he jerked back, wondering where the hell his head was and where all these thoughts and feelings were coming from. 

Maybe he had been travelling alone for too long? 

Biting into his cheek in an attempt to stop his incessant thinking, he focused his attention on setting up proper traps to last the night. Simple yet strong paper jutsus lined the windows and doors. Each one contained just a bit of his chakra, small in quantity but definitely enough to alert him if anyone came too close to their room or lingered too long. 

Sadly this distraction lasted for about five minutes. 

Rolling back his shoulders and twisting his torso until he heard satisfying 'pop's from his spine, Sasuke easily located the pillow he had used the night before and used it once more as cushioning, propping it against the wall then leaning into it, mentally spent and hoping for at least five hours of sleep. Time wasn't something he could easily tell when there wasn't a sun or moon to dictate how many days had passed or what hour in the day it was. So he settled for the clocks on the wall, calendars or even his own body clock. 

Settling into the pillow, he laid back and closed his eyes. 

Only to open them again when he smelled some sort of floral shampoo lingering in the air around him and noticed the dog fur scattered on the fabric of his makeshift bedding. 

Wonderful. 

…

"Open your eyes." 

Sakura didn't want to. She was much too comfortable. It felt like she was being cuddled by puffy clouds or wrapped in a sheet of fluffy feathers. 

"Mmhmm." 

Her hand came up to swat away the voice or rather wherever the voice was coming from, wanting nothing more than to melt into the softness surrounding her. 

"I said, open your eyes, slave." 

The suddenly authoritative voice growled, eliciting a heat to pool in between her thighs at the deep and husky quality ringing in her ears. 

He sounded so familiar. 

Curiosity got the better of her and Sakura looked up-

-and felt the air rush out of her. 

There he was, in all his masculine glory, Kakashi, shirtless, maskless and straddling her form. 

A startled squeak left her lips at the naughty position they were currently in, at how close his exposed skin was to hers, embarrassment flooding her system at how near he was, how bare he was, his torso and face free of any fabric. Her eyes feasted at the sight of his straight nose, smirking lips, hooded eyes that were so dark, dark with something dangerous, something sinful and Sakura found herself drowning in them. 

"Good girl," He leaned closer, his eyes never leaving her face. "Now, remember when I asked you a question earlier?" 

Question? What question? 

She couldn't concentrate. 

Not when he was close, too close to her body and looking too attractive to be considered human. 

"N-no." 

Large hands pressed against the sheets on either side of her face. He was getting closer. She was torn. Push him away or pull him closer? 

"I forgot." 

Something flared behind his eyes. 

"Oh really?" His tongue darted out to lick his lips, slowly, wetting them and doing funny things to her insides.   
"Should I refresh your memory then?" 

"Kakashi-" 

Her train of thought didn't just derail. It combusted into an explosion of fire at the feel of Kakashi's lips on her neck, sucking, licking, biting, pushing everything remotely rational and logical out of her mind. 

A strangled moan left her lips. 

It sounded desperate, crazed, hungry. 

Was that really her? 

His mouth trailed to her collarbones and up to where her neck met her shoulder. Fire licked at her insides. Her thighs clenched tightly together. Her fingers clawed the bedding beneath them. 

He spoke then. But this time his words were softer, whispered hotly against her skin and into the shell of her ear. 

"I asked you, if you wanted to know, all the things I wanted to do to you while you wear this." 

Memories of the dressing room tingled in the back of her mind but she couldn't focus on anything that wasn't his hot mouth on her skin, his tongue tracing delicious patterns on her shoulders and neck. 

"You like this don't you, slave?" 

More kisses. A bit of teeth too. 

"Tell me you like what I'm doing to you." 

Another moan was his only response. 

The heat in between her legs grew almost to an unbearable degree and just when Sakura decided to give in and surrender, her hands reaching out to grasp his muscled arms, she clutched at nothing but empty air. 

She opened her eyes, confused and found herself alone. 

The bed vanished. 

Kakashi was gone. 

She was laying on cold, hard ground. 

The fire burning inside her was suddenly extinguished by a scream. 

It was a heart wrenching, blood curdling cry for help. Desperate. Hurt. Pained. 

Most of all, familiar. 

Ino. 

Sakura was on her feet, running, searching for the source of the sound. 

But she couldn't see anything but a deep gray void. It felt like she was running blind. 

She tried to call out, to tell her best friend that she was here to save her. 

But there was no sight of Ino. 

Only the continuous cries for help, of anguish and pain. 

It felt like hours of running and searching. 

At some point Sakura's quick pace slowed and she covered her ears, trying to muffle the sounds of suffering. 

The sky above her shifted, rippled from a dull grey into a horrifying blood red. The color bled into the walls and ground beneath her feet. 

Her tears fell, hot and salty. 

She shook her head, willing for this terrifying nightmare to end. 

Instead she heard the worst cry of all because this time, Ino was calling her name. 

"SAKURA!" 

She jolted up, gasping for air, eyes wide with fear. Her hands fisted the blankets while her breaths came in harsh pants. 

Green eyes looked around and was both relieved and disappointed to see Sasuke gone, his sword missing as well. 

Maybe he was getting food? 

Too tired from the nightmare to look for the Uchiha, Sakura fell back on the mattress, a thin sheen of sweat on her body and her heart heavy in her chest. 

It was just a nightmare. 

Just a nightmare. 

It wasn't real. 

She kept repeating these lines to herself for the next thirty minutes until she slowly lost herself to sleep. 

It wasn't real. 

…

Sleep lasted for what felt like four and a half hours for Sasuke. 

He made it a point to wake an hour before Sakura, claiming it was to look for breakfast but deep down it was because of his pride. The last thing he wanted to deal with was her reaction when she finally realized that he hadn't slept in the same bed as her since joining forces, especially after he made it abundantly clear how sharing the same sleeping space was nothing. His ego refused to explain his reasoning behind using a solitary pillow for the past two nights. 

He left the teahouse quickly, walking back to the room with two more plastic bags of takeout food, fried rice with dumplings, there was no way in hell he would purchase ramen, not after eating it so often with that dobe.

It was about six in the morning if he had to guess. So Sakura should be up by now. After all, no self-respecting ninja would sleep past dawn. 

Turning his key in the knob, he pushed open the door and was surprised to see the bed empty and made. Just as paranoia was about to set in, she appeared out of the bathroom, steam following her as she went. 

"Good morning Sasuke." She smiled. 

"Hn." 

He ignored the way his shirt hung on her petite frame. 

"Did you sleep well?" 

It was a pathetic attempt to start up a conversation so he didn't bother replying and opted to place the food on the table, taking a seat, knowing she would follow. 

Thankfully she didn't try to engage him in small talk anymore. The peace that followed was relaxing at first but then her quiet soon became uncharacteristic. If there was one thing he knew about Sakura, it was how annoyingly vocal she could be, especially when something was on her mind. And after the interesting talk she had last night with the ninken, he wouldn't be surprised if she started babbling. 

Twenty minutes later, take out containers empty save for a few grains of rice, he spoke. 

"The meeting with Norio will be held in five days." 

That got her attention. 

"Where?"

"The second circle."

"The what?"

He sighed, setting his chopsticks down. 

"Kakashi didn't mention the layout of the city?" 

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb, an action that came reflexively when he found himself mildly irritated. 

"He may have neglected to mention that." Sakura had the sense to at least appear guilty and ashamed. 

"Tch, what do you both do then?" The question was crisp and his eyes, he was sure, were glaring at her. 

"N-nothing!"

Was she blushing? 

"Clearly." He scoffed, perturbed by Sakura's reaction. 

A pregnant pause filled the air. The only sounds in the room were the chopsticks, scraping against the paper bowls and the occasional sip of water. 

This time she was the one who sighed. 

"Sorry. We did talk yesterday. Just not about the city. Last time we met, he informed me about Tsunade-shishou allowing the mission to continue, despite complications." 

Sakura gestured to him to which he rolled his eyes. 

"I was supposed to meet Kakashi last night but he told Pakkun to inform me the change of plans. Our meeting was rescheduled to tonight at nine instead." 

There was a subtle change in her tone. He narrowed his eyes, curious but unwilling to delve deeper into anything related to Sakura and her shift in emotions. 

"Hn." 

"You were saying, about the second circle?" She pressed, obviously interested. 

Another beat of silence passed before he replied. 

"There are three rings that make up the entire city. The outer circle is where the incoming slaves are held, along with the auction house, bars and other establishments. That's where we are right now. Anyone who's in the slave trade can enter this area and stay there." 

If there was one thing he didn't dislike about his over sympathetic teammate, it would be her mind, how it absorbed information like a sponge, how details and plans were immediately ingrained into her memory. Already he could note how she soaked in every word he said and approved of how seriously she took them. 

"The second ring is comprised of buildings that house all the underlings and close connections of whoever is running the whole operation. Only those who have been invited by those living inside can enter." 

"Which is where that creep comes in." Sakura muttered darkly. 

Sasuke nodded before continuing. 

"There's a tower in the center of the innermost ring and despite being surrounded by only a few buildings, it has the largest number of guards patrolling the area. Because of that, it's highly possible that the boss is based there."

She frowned suddenly. 

"Have you heard about the boss actually attending any of the weekly meetings?" 

He hadn't. 

"No." 

Sasuke didn't comment on the frustration that apperared on her face. 

"But it's a step closer to him at least." Sakura nodded and looked as if she was about to leave when he couldn't take it anymore. 

"Your turn." 

His tone left no room for argument or escape. There were some things about the mission she was still very clearly holding back on. Something he did not appreciate in the slightest. 

"I thought I made it clear that I don't have any intel about the city." A pink brow arched at his demand. 

He scowled. 

"I mean your mission. Since you have permission from your Hokage that we work as a team, I am now privy to mission details." 

Understanding flashed on her face. 

"Oh."

A few moments passed with neither of them speaking until finally she broke the silence, leaning forward on the table and intertwining her fingers on the woody's surface. Her gaze was glued to it, a few wisps of pink hair falling over her eyes. 

"It's Ino." 

Ah. That explains it. 

"She's been missing for weeks now. We've sent search parties for her but they always end up coming back empty handed. No information, nothing." Frustration and anger was evident in her voice. Whether they were directed at the perpetrator or herself he wasn't so sure. 

"Until Shishou received news from an ally." She leveled him with a determined stare. 

"That's why you're so restless wherever we go." 

Sakura nodded then gave a humorless laugh, fingers digging into the table. 

"It's frustrating. Kakashi hasn't found anything, not even with all his ninken. But at least we've got one lead with Norio," A slight shiver passed through her. "There's something...off about that guy."

That was putting it mildly.

"Stay away from him if you can." 

As if his words had lit a fire inside the woman sitting across from him, Sakura's eyes narrowed, her tone bordering on acidic. 

"Well, I'd like to, trust me. But if you recall, I was handed to him on a silver platter." 

Sasuke ignored her comment and the anger that came with it. 

"Try not to…intrigue him anymore than you already have," He gave her a pointed, disapproving look.   
"Biting him didn't necessarily push him away." 

She rolled her eyes, appearing disgruntled but not at all affected by his words. 

"That was not my intention. Hell, I wanted to piss him off, not get his attention."

The look of interest on Norio's face when he had examined the drop of blood on his finger flashed behind his lids. 

"Clearly, it didn't work." He muttered dryly. 

Green eyes flashed at his brash choice of words. 

"I apologize then for not spreading my legs for the bastard and letting him just do whatever the hell he wanted with me." 

It was a horrible thought and Sasuke found himself feeling uncomfortable with the mere thought of Sakura being willing to participate in such vulgar acts with an equally vulgar man. Instead of admitting this out loud or to himself though, he settled for a familiar method of approaching the pink haired medic; reprimanding her. 

"It's your job as a kunoichi. If you can't handle it, then you shouldn't have accepted this mission in the first place." 

It seemed what he said had crossed some invisible line that should never be broken because she slammed her chopsticks on the table, creating a small fissure in the wood in the process. 

"What's your problem Sasuke? I'm trying my best here." 

He glanced at the thin lines now spreading on the furniture before looking at the now fuming medic. 

"Just don't get in the way and do your job." 

It seemed like she was sharpening her words, readying herself for a verbal spar. He could tell from the way she pursued her lips slightly, the way her brows scrunched together and the fire jumping at him from her green eyes. But instead of another retort, she shocked him once more. She leaned back, crossing her arms and regarded him with an even stare. Although she appeared at ease, relaxed even, he knew better. She finally replied, her tone was the epitome of calm and collected yet her choice of words were mocking. 

"Of course, master." 

His brow arched at the way she spat the last word. 

It was another provocation. 

One that meant to bait him, to lose his cool. 

It was a pathetic attempt to get a rise out of him, he knew that. 

But who was he to back down from a challenge? 

He mirrored her position, save for crossing his arms for obvious reasons, and gave her an apathetic look. 

"It's good you know your place, slave." 

Her cool facade cracked a little. 

"And where would that be exactly?" She bit out.

He smirked then. 

"Beneath me." 

Blood rushed to her cheeks with his short but rather blunt statement, giving Sasuke a hot flash of satisfaction for having won this round. Just when he had stood up, Sakura, being her stubborn self, caught his eye and spoke so lowly he almost missed her words. 

"Not for long, Sasuke." 

And she gave him a glare coupled with a smirk. 

He should be irritated at her gall. 

At the smug expression on her face. 

Yet he felt something else. 

Something that he had been feeling much too frequently. 

Instead of responding to her, he merely scowled and left the table. 

"We leave in five minutes." 

He expected another quick witted retort or a refusal but instead she nodded, looking away from him. 

Just when he thought she was done surprising him, he almost choked when she removed his shirt, revealing what she wore underneath.

It wasn't as scandalous as some of the outfits he had seen just this morning, considering it covered most of her midriff with lace, but he still felt his blood boil at the black fabric criss crossing on her body, a stark contrast to her fair skin. 

Spinning smartly on his heel, he left the room to wait for her outside, hoping to erase the image of her and wondering why he was suddenly so affected by seeing her dressed in...those things. Practically all the women were wearing the same thing, some with decidedly less fabric that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. But how come she elicited such a reaction in him? 

It was probably because he had spent some years together in their childhood. Maybe this was some sort of over protectiveness that stemmed from their connection as a genin team? He was reacting like how an older brother would if he saw his sister in such clothes. 

Sasuke nodded to himself, resolute in his reasoning. 

The rest of the day was spent searching for Ino. Their pace was slow due to the fact they couldn't travel as quickly for the sake of keeping up their little charade. Questioning passer-bys and staff was off the table. Doing so would only raise suspicion. So they looked the old fashioned way; walking around and keeping their eyes open for anyone with large chakra signatures. 

A part of him felt this was useless. If highly trained canines whose noses were bred for such a task couldn't locate the loud blonde, then how could they? 

Best solution was to find the person responsible, not look for the woman. Yet a quick glance at Sakura was enough confirmation for Sasuke that she wouldn't wait for the meeting, idle in the hotel room when someone she knew was out there suffering. 

Hours passed until the street clock chimed nine pm. 

Just when the bell made its final toll, a familiar head of silver hair appeared in the crowd of people on the street. 

It was annoying really. 

How for the better part of their childhood, Kakashi made it a point to be inexcusably late but now that Sasuke was not eager to see the man at all, he was suddenly on time for everything. 

He tightened his hold on Sakura's chain as an all too familiar feeling snaked through his insides. 

"What a coincidence! Who knew you'd be out on this fine evening." 

He resisted the urge to respond sardonically that he did know and forced his hand to relax his near death grip on the metal links. 

"Hn." 

"I need more than an hour with your little pet over there." 

"How long?" 

"I'll be sure to bring her home to you before morning." He grinned then extended his hand, palm up, waiting. 

Sasuke knew there was no reason to demand Sakura be brought back early so he swallowed a hot retort and dropped the chain into Kakashi's waiting hand. 

Before the older man could reply, Sasuke gave a curt nod and left the vicinity. 

He didn't bother to give Sakura any indication that he was leaving or some sort of farewell. Not that he needed to since he did play the role of her master. 

The route back to the hotel was fairly short and Sasuke's finger twitched towards his sword. 

On any given day, he would spend at least five hours training himself until he was ragged, whether it was taijutsu, genjutsu, anything really, he made sure to keep his battle skills as sharp as the weapon he kept strapped to his belt. Unfortunately, after surveying the city on his first few nights, it was clear that the outer ring didn't offer training grounds of any kind. 

Grueling work with the sword and practicing with his bloodline technique for hours on end also made a good distraction, away from the foreign feelings and completely unwelcome thoughts he'd been having as of late. 

Yet with no place to practice such activities without causing some trouble or catching a few eyes, Sasuke decided to walk back to the hotel room. Meditating would have to suffice for now. 

"Hey there big boy. Wanna have some fun?" 

He sighed at the voice calling out to him and didn't slow his pace. 

"Aw come on! I bet I can make you very happy." 

He sighed again at her innuendo and wondered if the men here actually found that kind of brazenness appealing. 

"The bar I work at is just on this block! Great lights, music, food, drinks and even better company." She winked coyly.

Sasuke looked to the woman who had materialized out of nowhere, a hot pink collar with a heart dangling from the center, a smile on her equally pink lips. 

"No thank you." 

The hotel was just two more blocks away. 

"You look like you could use a drink though,"   
She tapped her chin as if in deep thought before a large smile stretched across her made up face.   
"I'll even give ya a discount!" 

Sasuke rolled his eyes then. Some women really didn't take no for an answer. Just like Sakura. Sakura who was currently with Kakashi. Doing gods knows what. 

And just like that, one small thought about the pink haired medic and the feeling that stirred acid inside his body was back. 

As if sensing his loss of determination to get away, the relentless mousy haired woman pounced on him. 

"Come on handsome, the first drink is on me!" 

Sasuke didn't pull away when the woman grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, eager to get a customer into their establishment. All he wanted was to distract himself. Maybe this would do the trick. 

…

If last night was awkward, this, walking behind Kakashi who hadn't spoken a single word to her or even looked in her direction, was much worse. 

The tension was palpable in the air between them. It was so thick she was sure it would take about five of Ten ten's best kunai to cut it. 

What also bothered her was how exposed she felt, walking in heels and lingerie down the street as if she were on a runway instead of a mission. Would she ever get used to wearing such risque clothing? She highly doubted it. 

At first she had chosen this set because it was a one piece, covering parts of her midriff which did more than any of the other clothes she had been forced to wear recently. The gratitude soon turned into horror when she realized how thin the lace actually was. The straps were simple enough but the entirely ensemble looked so naughty. There wasn't any other word to describe the thing. A thick black ribbon cinched the waist while more ribbons criss crossed the front and lace that was practically sheer connected the ribbons together. She nearly fainted when she saw the back. It was non-existent save for a few black ribbons, strategically placed to hold everything tight yet still managed to showcase so much skin. The outfit came with matching black sheer stockings and gloves that ended past her elbows. She quickly put them on, hoping it would cover more of her body but it merely amplified the whole look. 

It took five minutes or staring at her reflection in embarrassment and shock before she put on Sasuke's shirt. There was no way she was going to eat breakfast with him wearing that. 

But now here she was, trailing after Kakashi in the most sinful outfit imaginable. 

She had no clue where he was taking them and obviously couldn't ask him in a crowded street when she was dutifully playing the role of a servant. She settled for nibbling on her lower lip, keeping all the questions and her curiosity at bay.

As they made their way past bars with ridiculous signs like 'cum on over' or 'you know you wanna get INSIDE', to which Sakura cringed horribly, her thoughts were a scrambled mess that desperately needed to be sorted if she wanted to get anything done properly on this mission. 

Last night's dream turned nightmare left Sakura feeling disoriented and guilty. Here she was, lusting after her teacher who evidently didn't feel the same, while her friend was suffering at the hands of some abusive bastard. This was her subconscious punishing her, painting a picture because she wasn't paying enough attention in reality nor admitting to those startling facts. 

What didn't help matters was Sasuke. It was hard enough to maintain a relaxed, untroubled persona after practically no sleep but his sunny personality wasn't making things any easier. To think, she had dreamed of going on a mission with him for years, pining after the man and praying that she would be his partner and they would end up in situations that demanded close proximity or even some role playing as a married couple. She almost laughed at the irony of it all. She got exactly what she wanted. But in the most twisted circumstances possible. And gods, he makes working seamlessly as a team close to impossible! His harsh jabs and sharp words were unnecessary. True, he never was one to sugarcoat his sentences so she shouldn't have expected no less from him but it really, was it part of his daily routine to get on her nerves? 

"Here we are!" 

Kakashi's voice pulled her from her inner tirade and out into the real world. The pinkette blinked once, twice and rubbed her eyes just to be sure and when the sign in front of her didn't disappear, she deemed it real and swallowed hard at the ball of nervousness that was firmly lodged in her throat. 

"Come in, slave. I have a feeling we'll have some fun tonight." 

'Pussy palace' hung over the double doors in a bold script, can ears and a tail adorning the colorful words. Despite the windows and doors being completely shut, she could still hear the loud thumping bass of music. The familiar feeling of dread lay heavy in her stomach as they entered the establishment, its design was abstract, long diagonal lines cut into the cement where bright neon lights were nestled, blinking almost happily at her as she went. 

If she wasn't so nervous, Sakura would have laughed outright at the night club's title. 

However she was extremely nervous but had no choice other than to follow wherever Kakashi led her, the chain between them swinging lightly as they made their way beyond the concierge, past the long bar lined with shot glasses filled with gods knows what and into what looked to be a private booth. It had the kind of couch that curved around the polished circular table and curtains that hung from the ceiling, its color a dark burgundy.

Sakura surveyed the area quickly and noticed it looked exactly what she pictured a nightclub to be. She spotted a tall podium where someone controlled the music in the center of the room and women in what looked to be holographic bras and thongs with matching thigh high stockings and heels, dancing like their lives depended on it on stages positioned in each corner of the room which stood tall over the sea of gyrating bodies on the dance floor. The same lights that designed the outside of the club flashed here inside, changing in time with the music. 

Red, pink, purple, blue. 

Her eyes had to adjust to the sudden flash of color and her head nearly hurt from the intense music pounding her eardrums from the speakers. But suddenly her view of the club wasn't as clear as before and she was looking at fabric. 

She leaned back before noticing the curtains that surrounded the table they were at were pulled by Kakashi, giving them some privacy. 

"Why don't you come closer here, slave?" 

She arched her brow at the last word that left Kakashi's lips. 

"Why are you still pretend-" 

The words died in her throat at the hand that clamped over her lips.

"I said, why don't you come closer." 

His voice sounded less seductive and was more firm, teacher-like if she had to describe it. She furrowed her brows but obeyed. From standing awkwardly by the velvet couch that circled around the black marble table, unsure whether or not to sit by him or on the floor like how she usually did with Sasuke, she stepped closer, placing her about two feet away from her sensei. This, evidently, was not close enough for him because he grabbed her wrist and positioned her on his lap, much like the other night at the teahouse. Only this time, the setting was darker and there wasn't a third party to witness them. 

Why was he doing this? No one was watching so they could drop the act right? 

What felt like mutant butterflies erupting in her stomach, Sakura swallowed, nervousness coming out of her every pore. 

Unless maybe she was wrong? And he did find her attractive? 

Her heart was palpitating in her chest so loudly she wondered if he could hear it.

Kakashi leaned close to whisper into her ear, his breath brushing a few pink strands away from her cheek. 

"The curtains are slightly sheer. We can still be spotted. Best to keep the act up." 

And just like that, something inside her deflated. 

"O-okay." 

Gods what was wrong with her? Jumping to conclusions like that and getting excited-

No. 

She was not excited. 

Not. At. All. 

Sakura repeated this in her mind on a steady loop, concentrating on those words instead of the arm wrapped around her waist and the hand over her knee. 

"Good. Anyways, find anything interesting yesterday at the slave rings?" 

His voice was not sexy and it definitely did not send shivers down her spine. 

"Yes. Sasuke and I met someone in the boss's inner circle. Some creep called Norio. We managed to get a spot in their next weekly meeting. It's going to be held in the second ring." She whispered back, keeping her eyes on the velvet texture of the couch they were both sitting on. 

"That is promising. How did you both manage to do that in such little time?" 

Sakura inwardly preened at the praise. 

"A bet, some genjutsu and a fight." 

It was quiet for a while. The steady beat of the club's music the only sound filling the air between them. 

"Sounds messy. Do I want to know?" 

Her eyes were occupied with looking at everything and everyone but Kakashi however even without looking at him she could tell he wasn't exactly pleased. 

"Well you don't really have a choice since you'll need this information to write up the mission report." Was her slightly snarky reply. 

"Oh? I believe that was your job." He said almost thoughtfully. 

Was he actually going to dump all the paperwork on her?!

Her eye twitched in irritation. 

"Nice try. But since you're the leader of this operation, paperwork is your responsibility."   
She pointed out, shifting on her perch on his lap and ignoring the way her stockings brushed against his pants and the pleasurable friction that came along with it. 

It was quiet for a while so she felt her point was made, quite well in fact. But of course, Kakashi is a master of excuses and bullshitting and wasn't going down without a fight. 

"Ah. You might be right. But me being, well me, I'm likely to give a subpar report that you, being you and your compulsive need to perfect all work you are remotely involved in, will undoubtedly fix." 

He was right, damn him. 

"...you're horrible." The growl left her lips. 

"I believe you mean intelligent." 

She could hear the smile in his voice. 

Thoroughly annoyed now, Sakura steered the conversation back to the mission, her mental loop of denial still playing heavily inside her head at the feel of his breath against her cheek. 

"The meeting will take place in five days. Till then, I plan to search for Ino. The outer circle is huge so at least Sasuke and I can clear the area and search for any possible suspects." 

She wondered how he could be so composed, so unaffected in this type of setting and company. But then again, with his track record and experience in ANBU, it isn't surprising at all that Kakashi could handle anything, whether it was assassination missions or assignments that entailed having a half naked woman on his lap. 

"Hmm." 

Unable to control her curiosity any further, she ask him, 

"So?" 

"Yes?" 

Thankfully his hands didn't wander as much as the other day in the dressing room. If they did, she would have a much harder time concentrating, not that she'd ever admit that out loud. 

"Care to explain why we're meeting in a nightclub?" 

"I thought you'd enjoy the music." He quipped easily. 

Her only response was a quick but painful jab to his ribs with her elbow. Although there was no chakra behind her movements, she was still a medic therefore ensured to inflict just the right amount of pain to show him she did not appreciate his humor or sarcasm. Immediately repositioning her arm where it was placed over his shoulders, an innocent expression donned her face when he gave her a light glare, one hand rubbing his injured side. 

"And a little birdie told me high profile shinobi types come here often. Especially in the last few weeks. It seemed like a good time to check it out for any leads on Ino." 

"How'd you get this information?" She couldn't help but question. 

"A woman named Yumi." 

"Yumi?"

The name sounded so familiar.

"You know her?" He questioned, his eyes widening in surprise ever so slightly. 

"Maybe. Tell me more. What does she look like?" 

The jealousy that had stirred inside her last night morphed into suspicion and worry. The city was huge. Maybe Kakashi had met another woman with the same name?

"She's quite tan, has eyes like a cat, red lips that-" 

"Okay. I get it. I think we're talking about the same person. She dressed me for the auction a few days ago." The pinkette began nibbling on her lower lip, mind already racing forward with the possibilities and buzzing with questions. 

"How...coincidental." He noted. 

"Yeah." 

But was it really just a coincidence? It could be. After all, they had no information on Yumi. She might have happened to see some shinobi enter this club and could just be helping out Kakashi. 

The worry in her gut told her otherwise though.

"So?"

Kakashi's whisper interrupted her chain of thoughts. 

"Yes?" 

"How are you?" 

For the first time that evening, he looked at her, really looked at her. Gone were the blank, empty eyes. Now she was gazing into Kakashi's face, all familiar and worry etched into his features. 

"Funny, Pakkun asked me the same thing." 

"Where do you think he learned his manners from?" He shrugged. 

She gave him a deadpan stare and Kakashi chuckled lowly under his breath before getting serious. 

"But really Sakura, how are you?" 

She ignored the blasting music, exotic dancers and colorful lights, trying to put into words her feelings and thoughts and being honest with her teammate without divulging too much information that might push him away any further than she already did. 

"Not great," She began uncertainty coating her voice.  
"It's...difficult Kakashi-sensei. I'm worried about Ino and I feel like I'm in a constant state of guilt because she's probably hurting somewhere and I'm-"

"Not?" His brow curved at her obvious unease. "You're being too hard on yourself." 

Sakura shook her head. 

"I don't think so." 

"Stubborn too." He added with a small smile. 

"Kakashi-sensei…" 

"I'm sure Ino wouldn't blame you. You're trying your best."

The tension in her chest, which felt tight and constricting, suddenly relaxed. It felt good to be acknowledged. Sakura usually wasn't the type to beg for attention, not anymore, she had grown out of that habit thank gods but it never hurt to hear some reassurance that she wasn't screwing everything up. 

"And if you aren't comfortable in certain situations, no one would blame you for walking away." 

The warmth that had bloomed inside her from Kakashi's kind words wilted away. 

"What do you mean?" She asked slowly, a horribly familiar feeling welling up her body, brimming and simmering inside. 

"This. I've watched you grow up, Sakura. I know this doesn't fall under your expertise."

Ouch. 

That hurt. 

But maybe his words stung so bad because they were true? 

Sakura frowned, hating the situation and angry as well but she couldn't exactly direct any of her negative feelings toward anyone but herself. He was right. Seduction was never her specialty, far from it actually. She was a complete and utter novice in the realm of sex. 

But despite the ugly truth ringing in her ears, her stubborn and prideful streak appeared.

"You have a bad habit of underestimating me Kakashi-sensei. Besides, didn't you tell me I was doing a good job?" 

Kakashi sighed suddenly, sensing he had hit a nerve. 

"You are. I'm not denying that. But that's with me. God knows how long this mission will last and who else would try something with you. I doubt those men would be as gentle as I am." 

The pinkette couldn't hold back the scoff.

"Gentle he says." Sakura faced the other direction, irritation coming off her in waves. 

"Oh, I have been." 

The hands on her waist and knee tightened and she caught the surprised gasp that almost left her lips. 

"Right." 

"Don't believe me?" 

Those hands were moving again, this time she could feel the intent in his movements. There was no apprehensiveness or uncertainty. The palm on her waist left and appeared on her right thigh, fingers tracing up and down in light strokes, once, twice before halting at her knee. With both his hands on her legs, she watched with wide eyes as he used his strength to lift her body, using her knees as leverage and rearranging her limbs over his lap until she had both legs on her side of his hips. 

"K-kakashi-sensei…" 

Shit shit shit. 

What was he doing?

"What are you d-doing?" 

Why did she have to sound so damn breathless? 

"Proving a point. Several actually." 

His hands went up her thighs until they landed her on her hips, his thumbs circling her exposed hip bones, making her bite her lip hard to suppress any embarrassing sounds from escaping her throat. Suddenly, he grasped her hips and pulled down hard, leaving absolutely no space between their bodies. 

"W-what?" 

Was she dreaming again? 

She wasn't sure. 

It just didn't seem real. The way Kakashi growled low in his chest and rolled his hips as he pressed hard on her body, creating delicious, wonderful friction that left her blushing and breathless. 

"Too rough for you?" 

No. 

Not enough actually.

She wanted more. 

"Just admit it Sakura," The side of Kakashi's face was pressed against hers, his voice rumbling into her ear while his lips brushed against the skin of her neck.   
"You're not comfortable." 

The heat in between her legs was definitely not comfortable. It was throbbing, pulsating and demanded attention, his attention. 

"You want me to stop." 

She wanted him to keep going. 

A fact that scared and excited her more than anything.

This was so wrong on so many levels. 

But she couldn't find it in herself to stop. 

Sakura knew this was a game. He wanted to scare her, teach her, show her exactly what some bastard would do to her. But the lesson wasn't going as planned. If anything, it was tearing down the carefully planted walls and restrictions she put up. Reasons why she shouldn't indulge in this curiosity, this taboo were slowly being crumpled and thrown away with every light roll of his strong hips and hot breath fanning against her skin. 

"Now imagine another man doing this. And he won't care whether you want him back or not. He'll just take what he wants." 

Clearly he had gotten to the point of his demonstration yet his movements did not slow or stop in the slightest. Sakura was about to unclamp her lips, sure that the loud music would drown out any moans that escaped her-

"Excuse us but can we join in?" 

The moment between them shattered at the three men waiting by their booth, lecherous grins and knowing looks on their faces. The one who had spoken stepped closer and even under the colorful lighting, Sakura could spot his eye color; brown with two scars running down the corner of his left eye. His companions didn't have any noticeable traits about them. They seemed like hired thugs or even bodyguards with the way they hung back on either side of the one who asked if they could join their table. 

"There aren't any seats left and personally, I've been dying for a drink. Would you mind sharing?" 

Kakashi didn't miss a beat, relaxing his tight hold on her hips and leaned back slightly, one hand stretched out, gesturing to the unoccupied seats beside them. 

"Of course not. Make yourselves comfortable."

The curtains were parted by meaty hands and their table was suddenly too crowded. 

"You're a nice guy! Here, lemme buy you a drink." Brown eyes grinned, his hand already up in the air as he called for a waitress to serve them. 

Kakashi shook his head and gave a small smile. 

"Much appreciated but I'm not thirsty. I had a few glasses earlier." 

A woman in the same holographic outfit came over, her hands carrying a large rectangle tray laden with shot glasses with every colored liquid imaginable. 

"A few glasses? Come on! You seem like the type of man who can take more than that." He raised an eyebrow before taking four glasses from the waitress and placing them on the tiny table in the middle. He then inserted a few grimy bills into the women's thong strap, slapped her ass and high fived his friends who guffawed at the entire scene. 

Sakura caught the embarrassed look flash across the women's face and nearly throttled the man if it weren't for Kakashi's hands still holding her in place.

"You flatter me. But I'd like to avoid being inebriated so I can perform later tonight." 

The men caught onto Kakashi's words and gave him matching leers. It was only the brown eyed one who spoke up though, his eyes latching onto hers immediately. 

"Pretty and...pink isn't she?" 

If one more bastard calls us pink one more time… Inner Sakura began cracking her knuckles forebodingly. 

They need an encyclopedia. Clearly they don't have enough words in their vocabulary. Sakura thought darkly. 

Tch. Got that right. Inner rolled her eyes. 

"Ya know, you can find one alot more endowed. I hear the bounty hunters found women with knockers the size of melons! Imagine that, ha!" 

The wilder, inhibited part of her growled in fury. 

Fucking hell! Let me at him! 

Sakura reigned in her Inner's rage and breathed in and out of her nose, calming herself. Getting into an all out brawl wouldn't help matters at all. 

"That's a wonderful mental image. But I'm satisfied with my slave." Kakashi gave them a tight grin, one that the males around them didn't seem to buy. 

"Hard to believe with a body like that. I mean sure, she's got a pretty face but it's the tits and ass that really counts." 

"Oh trust me, she's gifted in other ways." Kakashi said vaguely. 

The leader of the group laughed hard at that. 

"Pffft sure. She cooks or what?" 

Sakura was grateful she was facing the club's floor because if not, then the booth's occupants would have noticed the way her eyes widened comically at her sensei's next words. 

"She can dance." 

You have got to be kidding me. Sakura inwardly face palmed while Inner's eyebrows raised to her hairline. 

To be honest, I don't know whether to laugh or curse right now. 

What an idiot! What an impulsive, stupid thing to say! Sakura ranted internally, annoyed with how Kakashi's conversation with their uninvited guests were going. 

Or maybe it was the right thing to say.   
Inner turned to Sakura, her hands rubbing together as if she were some villain in a cheesy soap opera. 

What the hell are you on about? 

This is it! Our chance to prove our so-called master, wrong! 

Hang on, I thought you were all for Kakashi-sensei? Now you want to go against him?

Obviously. I mean sure he's hot but no one gets away with underestimating us.

She paused to consider Inner's words before relenting. 

Hm. Alright, I'm listening. Sakura nodded, the smirk on her lips mirroring Inner's perfectly.

…

Kakashi had no idea what possessed him to claim such a thing. The smart decision would be to simply keep his mouth shut and he had no alcohol in his system to blame for his loose lips. He couldn't explain it but he felt the need to defend her. As much as he wanted to brag about her medical prowess and ability to create an earthquake with just her fist, he couldn't, not without raising some eyebrows and suspicion. So he said the first thing that came to mind. 

Dancing. 

When one looked at it, being a kunoichi with all its demands of physical stress, flexibility and dexterity, can be considered as a dance of some sort. 

"Ha! Pinky over here? She looks as timid as a virgin. But I guess there's only one way to find out. Have her give me a lap dance then."

"I don't share my toys." 

"Fine. She'll dance on you but I need to see if you're just bullshitting me." 

Fuck. This guy was persistent wasn't he? 

Just when Kakashi was about to reply, something about elephants and umbrellas to throw the man and his friends off, the unbelievable happened. 

Sakura-sweet, innocent, pure Sakura-pushed him against the couch and got off his lap before she planted her feet on the ground just a foot away from him. 

His eyes widened in disbelief.

No. 

There was no way that she would actually-

She started moving her hips. 

Dear gods. 

She was. 

She was going to give him a lap dance. 

And he wanted her to. 

Inwardly he groaned into his palms. 

Tsunade wasn't just going to kill him. Death would be far too merciful. No, she was going to torture him in the most inhumane way possible. She was going to burn every single page of his beloved books in front of his very eyes for lusting after her student. 

The quick throbbing beat of the club's music slowed down to something deeper, darker and sultry, a sound that suited the pinkette just fine it seemed by the way she brought her arms up, hands lost in her mane of hair as her back arched, matching her every movement with the rhythm. 

He knew that he would be condemned to the lowest pits of hell for allowing himself to look at her body moving, undulating. She took a step closer and just when he thought she was going to sit on his lap, she turned around, slowly, her eyes still on him while he now had a perfect view of her heart shaped rear moving in time with the music. 

His father would be rolling in his grave if he knew what sort of depraved thoughts were coursing through his mind just then. 

Kakashi couldn't help but marvel at how Sakura had expertly shifted from a blushing virgin to a bonafide woman who knew exactly how to entice a man. She definitely turned the tables on him this round, a move he both found shocking and exciting. 

Where the hell was the crying, emotionally driven girl he had first met all those years ago? 

As the woman before him showed him just how flexible she had gotten, Kakashi realized that little girl had grown up, he just never bothered to watch. 

…

If someone told her that she, Sakura Haruno, virgin extraordinaire and inexperienced in all things related to sex, was dirty dancing for the viewing pleasure of her older teacher, she would have punched that person straight into the psych ward of Konoha hospital. 

Yet here she was, actually in tune with her Inner self with the sole objective to prove her teacher wrong once and for all. 

She recalled every instance she had overheard the other medic nin gossiping about their escapades with their boyfriends at clubs, bars and even bedrooms. Turns out men appreciated it when women put attention to their assets. In Sakura's case, she lacked in both areas, much to her chagrin but decided to use her flexibility as a kunoichi to her advantage. Most women couldn't perform perfect splits or touch their foot to the back of their heads with practiced ease like she could. 

At first she pretended it was any random man. Maybe a different face would make dancing so boldly easier. But then she found herself feeling awkward and unsure. 

If only they taught sexiness in a book somewhere. 

Her hips swayed side to side in small figure eights as she worried her bottom lip. 

Think Sakura, think!

When had she felt sexy? 

Going through her memories, she was disappointed to find that she barely felt attractive in that sense. It was just medical texts, training and punching Naruto or Sai.

Her eyes locked onto Kakashi's-

-and widened at what she saw. 

His mouth was slightly agape, his canine flashing as his tongue came out to lick his lips, one arm slung behind the couch while his other gripped his knee, nails digging into the fabric of his pants. 

Something inside her throbbed at the way he looked at her. As if he wanted to devour her, it reminded her of how a predator would eye his prey, eager to pounce and take the first bite, there was no other way to describe it. 

She clung to the familiar heat that erupted within her, using it to fuel her movements as she danced. Something was so deliciously naughty and exciting about dancing for Kakashi, proving him wrong and watching him unravel just the slightest bit. 

At some point she found herself perched again on his legs, her ass rolling against his lap in an attempt to mimic his hips earlier. 

Where did that come from? 

But clearly he appreciated it, if his ironclad grip on her thighs were any indication. Yet she stopped as soon as the music ended, the slow thrum and melody had changed into an upbeat, erratic number that she couldn't even keep up with. 

She locked eyes with Kakashi, breathing hard and a slight sheen of sweat covered her form from the physical exertion of dancing. Hopefully that showed him that she was more than capable of handling herself around men and knew more than what he gave her credit for. 

The smug satisfaction on her face disappeared when she realized how close they were and how tight his hands dug into her flesh. 

"Woooooooooooh! Now that, is what I call a fucking dance!" 

The moment ended and Kakashi leaned back, loosening his grip on her legs. Sakura nearly sagged in relief, unsure with where that moment was going to lead to. 

"Glad you enjoyed my pet's little preview." 

"Oh hell yeah. I guess I take back what I said then." Brown eyes chuckled.   
"How bout that drink?" 

"Mm? Sure." The copy nin muttered distractedly. 

Not that Sakura could blame him. It wasn't everyday that your decade younger student practically grinded on your lap. 

"Perfect! Let's toast!" He was handing out shot glasses, a goofy grin on his face.   
"To tits, ass, and pinky over here!" 

What an asshole. Inner grit out. 

Sakura frowned, noticing how eager and forceful this man had been the entire evening. 

Something's wrong. 

Of course something's wrong. I'm not punching the living shit out of him. 

No I mean, this guy has been extremely pushy, getting Kakashi to drink. 

Kakashi reached out and accepted the shotglass brown eyes offered. 

Good point. Usually men take drinks, not give them out. 

Maybe I'm overthinking. 

You know what's weird? I don't think these guys even introduced themselves.

A lump of lead fell into the pit of her stomach. 

The man under her tipped his head, acknowledging the toast and brought the glass to his lips. 

Oh shit, it might be poisoned! 

She was about to grab the glass or even push the entire thing away from Kakashi and their general vicinity but she could see the men watching him drink it with eager eyes. If she was suspicious before, she was convinced now that his drink had been tampered with. 

Shit shit shit! 

Panic set deep into her bones. There was no way to heal him, not without her chakra-

The liquid was already past his lips. 

-Her chakra. Of course! 

Kakashi was here, he could remove her collar as soon as they were alone. But Sakura's elation soon turned to fear. She didn't know exactly what kind of toxin was floating in his drink. There wasn't any color or odor. All she was banking on was a gut feeling. It could instantly kill or put him to sleep, she had no clue. Obviously Kakashi can't push chakra into the metal strap if he was unconscious, which meant he can't ingest the poison at all. 

Sakura, a plan already formed in her mind, decided to move. It was insane and would undoubtedly make things even more awkward between them but she'd rather deal with that than having him sick or even worse, dead.

And so, steeling herself and praying to the gods above this would work, Sakura leaned forward and captured Kakashi's lips in a bruising kiss. 

…

Kakashi didn't know what to expect when his student kissed him full on the mouth. 

Actually, he didn't expect her kissing him at all. 

But she was, her lips pushing against his and her tongue parting his mouth almost harshly. 

He was so lost in shock that he didn't notice the men leave their table quietly or the fact Sakura gulped down every drop of the alcohol he had finally relented to drink. 

The kiss lasted for a total of seven seconds. 

It was short but that didn't lessen its intensity in the least. 

Kakashi's mind was still reeling in confusion and disbelief before splitting in two. 

One part of him wanted to kiss her back. 

The other part of him fervently denied wanting her at all. 

But before he could decide which part of himself to listen to, Sakura pulled back, liquid dribbling down both corners of her lips. 

"M-my collar." 

He couldn't catch her broken whisper. 

"What?" 

Sakura's hand came up to touch the metal clasped around her neck gently. 

"Put...your chakra...into my collar," She coughed, wincing suddenly.  
"I need to access my chakra so I can heal...myself."

"Why would you need to heal yourself?" 

"T-those bastards put some drug into your drink. I-I drank it but I need to metabolize it quick before I-" 

Kakashi was already moving, picking Sakura up bridal style, one hand under her knees while the other supported her back. His fingers grazed the collar briefly, charging it with a spark of his chakra. A fine line appeared in the metal where it disconnected, unlocking with a faint hiss. 

He could sense her chakra pathways connecting again and knew she would take care of the rest. As they left the club, her eyes slid shut and her body turned limp. To any passerby they would look like any master and slave returning to their room for even more fun. So no one glanced their way or thought anything was out of the ordinary. That was how rancid this city was. A man carrying an unconscious woman somewhere was a common occurrence. 

Very seldom was he thrown for a loop but tonight definitely made it to his top ten crazy nights. Not only was he kissed by his attractive, younger student, he was also slightly, minutely disappointed by the fact that her objective was the cleanse his mouth of poison, not to actually- 

Kakashi shook his head. 

Now was not the time to think about such things. 

Instead he focused on getting Sakura back into her room, cursing himself the entire time for not realizing this whole night had been a trap. 

It was no coincidence that the very club he was told he would find some high level shinobi, he was singled out and given what looked to be, a fast acting drug meant to disable or even kill. 

Yumi didn't strike him as a murderer but then again, he had been wrong before. 

The copy nin decided right then that he had to be extra careful. 

Someone was watching him.

The only question now was who.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN : Oh. My. Glob. I can't believe three things, 
> 
> 1\. The amazing response I got from the last chapter! Hearing all of your reviews literally make my day and push me to be a better writer.   
> 2\. I reached almost 15k words! As always I try to limit myself to maybe 7-8k but the words kept on coming and I did read from someone (*wink wink*) that you enjoy the long chapters.   
> 3\. I'm a year older!!! It was my birthday yesterday and despite the quarantine, I had fun and felt super loved. 
> 
> Sorry by the way for any grammatical errors, I was so excited to get this posted for you all! 
> 
> Okay, rant done haha! 
> 
> Again please leave me a review and tell me whatcha think! 
> 
> Reviews = Inspiration = Faster and longer updates
> 
> *Glomps you for reading this long ass update and long ass AN* 
> 
> \- MKSS


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